


Who We Are

by Meatbag



Category: Star Wars Legends: Knights of the Old Republic, Star Wars Legends: The Old Republic
Genre: F/M, Gen, Sith Inquisitor - Freeform, Slow Burn, ain't gonne be much of the latter, will tag chapters with violence, will tag nsfw chapters
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-23
Updated: 2018-04-21
Packaged: 2019-04-06 19:55:40
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 42,668
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14064390
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Meatbag/pseuds/Meatbag
Summary: A very short inroduction. Callahira receives news on the whereabouts of her old apprentice, Ashara Zavros. (Added Cal's description...yikes)





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is centered around my OC, Callahira, who is a Sith Inquistor. It starts after the events of Copero. She was in a relationship with Andronikus and then Theron. She chose the "angry dialogue options" with Theron and wanted him brought in dead or alive. I'm guessing this will be at least 10 chapters. I'll probably edit the crap out of this after posting. This is my first ever AO3 account and I haven't written fan fic or practiced writing short stories in years. Poetry was usually my thing, oops.
> 
> I have it planned that I will explore Cal's new identity and how that conflicts with how she always saw herself and how she was raised. Sith becoming a symbol of peace and unity? Yikes! It will move into her growing relationship with Arcann, eventually, and how a Sith relates to the now redeemed former tyrant. I flagged this as mature because I think it will eventually become so. Who knows!?
> 
> Warning: I love commas. Also, pardon my formatting. I'm slowly remember things like grammar and wtf I'm even doing :D Think of it as a rough draft. I know I do. It needs to be edited. I swear I will.
> 
> P.P.S. Apparently, I got it wrong and Dromund Fels is *not* a colonized world during the Cold War. Well, it is now! Imagine it's like Dromund Kaas...only not.

“How did I get here,” she mused to herself. Once a dutiful and eager apprentice, relishing in the fear that 'Lord' inspired in every Imperial who would have once only referred to her as ‘slave’, if they acknowledged her existence at all. To then becoming a target for not just a powerful Sith, but a member of the Dark Council. Oh, and the spirits...stars, the spirits. Then she was a spectacle; a display of all that it meant to be Sith, destroying that man in the place of all his power and relevance, in front of the most powerful beings in the Empire. Sith who once treated him as their equal - and taking all that was his. His seat on the Dark Council and her very own sphere of knowledge. The only person in the Empire Darth Marr trusted. His equal and second only to the Emperor, perhaps. And now...now she was not sure who she was. 

 

Commander of the Eternal Alliance.  _ Alliance _ . Pathetic. What a vulgar thought. Former enemies working together towards peace in the galaxy, mending the wounds of war. A symbol of freedom over tyranny,  _ how quaint _ , but perhaps not so far from the truth. A Sith does seek to break all chains and being born a slave herself…

 

“Commander,” Callahira heard Lana call inquisitively from outside her door.

 

“Enter.”

 

Lana slid the bedroom door open and stepped inside. The Commander’s quarters were a sharp contrast to the rest of the base on Odessen. It seemed as if the Dark Lord had transferred the very Dark Council chambers into the space 1/50 its size. The air, the temperature, the  _ feeling _ : it was all palpably different. Shelves lined every inch of the walls with Sith and Jedi artifacts perfectly aligned atop them. They even had cataloguing; little holograms stating the age and purpose of each piece. Lana always took a small pleasure in being invited into that room. It reminded her of...home. Where or what was home now?

As for the Commander herself, the woman was as pale as a sheet. Her irises were whiter; a side effect of her special connection to spirits and the Force. Perhaps her eyes changed after she died the first time, Lana wondered. Literally died. Twice. Callahira’s hair was a muted black and was always braided in the front, down her chest, and the rest wrapped around back into a bun. Lana had never seen the Dark Lord without black makeup slicked across her eyes. Her lips were too always painted black. It was almost reassuring to know this Sith would never change no matter where the galaxy took her, at least in appearance. Besides her ghostly eyes, the other feature that first stands out to everyone who ever meets Callahira are her scars. They followed under the line of her eye makeup, right along the top of her cheekbones and across the bridge of her nose. It almost looked like some sort of script. In the middle of her forehead was another scar. That same script was what made up a circle. Lana had no idea if it actually was some sort of language and never asked. The pain must have been excruciating for the scars were very raised and very detailed. They did suit her, however. Some Sith scarred themselves to appear more intimidating, but Lana suspected Callahira received them when she was still a slave. Nevertheless, they didn’t seem to bother the Commander. 

 

“I thought I might give you an update on our search,” Lana spoke plainly with no change in her expression. She was never one to betray her own thoughts and emotions when she spoke.

 

“Let me guess. You haven’t found anything.”

 

“Unfortunately, the tip from the smugglers in the Outer Rim came up...short.”

 

Callahira sighed comically, “And I had such high hopes.”

 

“We  **will** find and stop him, Commander.”

 

Callahira placed her hand over her heart, sarcastically, and displayed an expression of woe, speaking the words a Jedi might say, “of course we will. I just wonder how many have to die before we do.” 

 

“Hopefully few enough that we still have a galactic economy. That’d be nice.”

 

The Dark Lord chuckled, “you know, I do so appreciate your pragmatism, Miss Beniko.”

 

“Always. Anyway, I do have a modicum of information regarding your former apprentice. I assumed you’d like to see it.”

 

“What?! Ashara,” she spoke with emotions she never liked to show. Emotions such as fear, love, and desperation.

 

Lana continued without pause, “that’d be the one. It makes sense considering your only other apprentice is here on Odessen.”

 

Callahira drew her eyebrows together and down, squinted, and pursed her lips. It was her go-to face. The Sith face. It really did inspire fear in anyone who didn’t know her or didn’t know her well enough. Lana, on the other hand, knew exactly what she was going for and felt only amusement.

 

“Here you go, Commander,” Lana held out the datapad for her, “Sana-Rae suspects she’s on Voss as we speak.”

 

“Why did she wait so long? I wonder…Thank you, Lana. I’ll see to it.”

 

“Of course, Commander. I’ll be in the war room.”

 

Lana took one last glance at the Sith’s quarters - with what one might suggest was a look of contentment - and stepped out, closing the door behind her.

 

Ashara Zavros. The thought of her young apprentice brought up old regrets of the days when Callahira didn’t care about anyone but herself. She had doomed that girl with her own selfishness and her compliance to copy the machinations every Sith took part in. In their time together before the invasion of Zakuul, the two had grown close. They had been open and honest with each other, which was a rare thing for a Sith to even consider. They debated the ways the Empire and Republic worked and interacted, the inevitable and indefinite conflict, and the way history was doomed to repeat itself over and over if the two factions didn’t change. They learned much from each other and, most importantly, they learned to trust one another. Trust was a luxury in the Sith Empire and a weapon that could be turned on you at any time. But knowing what was taken from Ashara always sent a quick pang to the Commander’s heart. Did she even deserve that girl’s attention?

  
  


*********

 

_ A fire. It can’t go out, it’s so strong. I’m running out of time. Every moment must be seized. Loss. Unimaginable loss. What did I lose? I must go into the fire. I must recover what’s inside. I can’t move? No! Concentrate. Break free. Nothing can ever stop me. I am free and powerful. I’m betrayed....again? For the first time? Why won’t he let go of me? He doesn’t understand. Does he? I must go in the fire. I must! The heat is searing, but I’m not afraid of it. Let go! I can’t breathe! My chest...I’ll destroy myself from the rage. I’ll destroy us both.  _ **_So be it._ **

 

Callahira nearly jumped out of bed. A dream. She sighed deeply to breathe normally again. “It was only a dream. I’m not there.” she reassured herself.

 

That wasn’t true. This wasn’t just a dream and the Sith was certain. She drew the Force to her and stilled the chaotic storm of emotions. She was used to such dreams...almost. They came to many Force sensitives, but she had a rare connection. Spirits were drawn to her and they spoke of things long forgotten. They brought with them visions of the past and the power for visions of the future. They entered her dreams, not to control her, but as if it was something natural for them, given her connection to the realm of the dead and how easily she could slip across what one might call the veil. They could feel her from wherever they were bound, across the galaxy. She was known as a Force Walker, a talent that was as rare as it was dangerous. There hadn’t been a Sith born this way in millenia. There were others currently with the gift, but she had met only one; a Gormak of all people. She could separate her spirit from her body and walk in the Force as only spirits can, but only for a time lest her body die and she could never return to the living.

  
  


Sometimes she wondered if in these dreams she had actually left her slumbering body and ventured into the Force to see the past, present, and future. She took in another deep breath as she shut her eyes. 

 

“Well, that will just have to be put aside for now”, the Sith thought to herself as if the professional nature of the words would lessen the new fear planted inside her.

 

She glanced over at the clock. It was early, very early, but at least she could make good time to Voss with every minute of the new day being productive and efficient. Callahira started to pack a few essentials, the rest of what she needed would be on her ship should the trip take longer than expected. They usually did, something always interfering with the mission. She put on the armor she had worn on her first day as an official member of the Dark Council, colored in the only palette she ever wore - black and deep purple. If she were the superstitious type, she would think the armor was lucky.

 

The Commander stepped out of her quarters already completely prepared for her trip to Voss. Not a soul was in the hall save the guards on the night shift. She walked with purpose to the hangar bay and ordered a former Imperial soldier, they were all 'former', to ready her ship for travel within the hour.

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Callahira is a bit delayed before traveling to Voss. She learns the specifics of why Ashara is reaching out now. Cal also receives hints regarding her dream.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I still want to edit this and the last chapter xD

Callahira waited in the hangar for the dock worker to return to inform her that her ship was ready to depart. She placed her day bag gently on top of a crate, turned, and leaned back. The sun was pressing on the horizon and would soon rise, the sky already becoming soaked in orange. The view from this side of the base was magnificent. She spotted her starship on a small plateau surrounded by the valley that circled the base. It looked like a model plane near the Gravestone that nested not far off. Her ship, aptly named Fury, seemed out of place. It didn't match the rest of the Eternal Alliance's home. It was so very...Imperial.

 

"Commander," Sana-Rae spoke softly as she approached from behind.

"Sana-Rae. You're up early."

"I was awakened. Perhaps by your own awakening. Ashara will be waiting in-"

"I know. I felt her through the Force as well. I must say, she's improved drastically. It fills me with pride."

"Very good, Commander."

 

Sana-Rae didn't depart. She did everything with a purpose, never one to dawdle. Every action, every word she spoke, was exactly as she meant it and exactly as it was supposed to be.

 

"Is there something else, Sana-Rae," Callahira finally probed after a few moments of silence, feeling a bit uneasy with the Mystic’s behavior.

"Yes. It is not... _ his _ fault," the Voss trailed off, her eyes searching the ground, trying to piece together whatever she had seen or felt.

"What is not whose fault?"

"I am...uncertain, Commander. I do know it pertains to you. It is all that I received in a moment during my meditation earlier. It is why I came to you in person rather than tell you of Ashara's location by holocom."

“I’m guessing that’s about Theron,” she nearly snarled as the corner of her upper lip lifted.

“I am not sure who ‘he’ is. Things are not always what they seem or we assume, Commander.”

“A lesson I would’ve done well to learn before...this.”

 

Sana-Rae didn’t reply. There was be no point. It wouldn't be necessary.

 

"Well," Callahira reeled in her sarcasm she would've unleashed upon anyone else saying something so vague and useless, "thank you, Sana-Rae. I will keep it in mind."

 

The Mystic raised her hand, palm forward, in an effort to stop the Sith from leaving.

 

"Commander. There will be delays."

 

Oh Force’s sake, of course there would be. The comical and ironic timing of the Imperial dock worker returning was almost too much. It was moments like these when the Dark Lord thought there  _ might  _ be such a thing as destiny. Sana-Rae had already neared the exit of the hangar, back towards the Force Enclave, as the Imperial stopped in front of the Sith and bowed.

 

"My Lord! There's, uh, something interfering with the navicomputer. I can't seem to plot any planet. It keeps reverting to, well, the middle of...space. The accretion disk of the galaxy, to be precise. I don't think you want to go there, my Lord!"

 

Callahira sighed loudly and rolled her eyes. The dock worker knew what that meant back in the Empire and he quickly went on to say anything that might lessen the punishment for disappointing a Sith.

 

"I'll bring out the best engineers right away, my Lord! It will be sorted within...the...as fast as possible! Apologies for the delay, my Lord."

"Then you'd better get to it, Lieutenant," she commanded and resisted the urge to smile at how  _ Imperial _ this exchange had been. Sometimes she felt a tad guilty for scaring her old countrymen, as it were, but she always received some amusement from it.

"Right away, my Lord!"

 

The sun finally breached the mountains that wall the Alliance base from the hangar's direction. Callahira was blinded for a few moments and turned to face the back of the room. It was then that she realized the guard had rotated. One thing stood out, however. He was brighter than everything else the sun illuminated which made perfect sense as he was wearing all white.

 

“Arcann,” she spoke with an almost accusatory tone.

“Good morning, Commander,” he nodded and began to approach.

“ _ Good _ ...hopefully that will become the case.”

“Is everything all right?”

“Oh, everything is simply sublime! Everyone and their mother,” she dipped her head to the right to glance behind Arcann, pretending to look for Senya, “ok, not everyone’s mother...is awake at the crack of dawn to give me less than pleasant news when I expected the base to be a ghost town so I would not be delayed. How are you?”

 

Arcann’s face remained blank for a few moments and then the right corner of his mouth raised ever so slightly.

 

“I’m fine, Commander.”

“Good! Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to go torment some engineers so I can finally be on my way,” Callahira spouted as she turned towards the sun to leave.

“That’s what I wanted to come and speak with you about.”

 

The Sith stopped and waited three beats to turn on her heel and meet Arcann’s eyes with her own. She stood there expressionless and silent, waiting for whatever request she was about to receive. Or perhaps it wouldn’t be a request, but rather bad news. Maybe Blizz had broken into her quarters  _ again  _ and smashed a priceless artifact. It wouldn’t be out of the realm of possibility.

 

“You are going to Voss, correct?”

“How in the world do  _ you  _ know that?”

“Lana is in the war room and I...overheard that you would be departing today for Voss. I don’t know the reason.”

“Eavesdropping is  **rude** , Arcann,” her words came out as dry and deadpan as she could make them.

“I humbly apologize.”   
“Don’t apologize to me. Apologize to Lana. And then me.”

“I...what?”

 

Callahira always seemed to be able to unbalance anyone, save Lana, with her torrent of words, sarcasm, wit, and misdirection. And she was able to do this painfully easily to Arcann since he never interacted with anyone outside of Zakuul before his invasion. Stars, a Republic librarian could see through her better.

 

The Sith sighed and relented, “what did you wish to speak with me about?”

 

Arcann took a few moments to remember just what he came to her to ask, “I was wondering if I could accompany you.”

 

That was a first. He never made any requests of her. Ever. He would of course always oblige if she asked something of him, but he certainly never made any effort or any sign of a desire to be in her presence. Odd.

 

“Why,” she spit out.

“I have been thinking about returning to Voss lately. I had never been there before and haven’t been back since...the...”

“Yes yes, and you wish to use this opportunity to take a little vacation there.”

“I wouldn’t say vacation. I will, of course, follow your schedule and leave you to your business. I don’t even have to leave the...what is it called? Alien district?”

“Enclave.”

 

Callahira nearly obliged, but then remembered why she was venturing to Voss. Arcann was the reason she had been separated from Ashara for the past seven years. Bringing him there and possibly bringing Ashara back to Odessen...with him...on the same ship...impossible. And probably awkward. No,  _ definitely  _ awkward. What had her young apprentice been through since the destruction of Darth Marr’s flagship? Had any of Callahira’s companions stayed with Ashara? She wouldn’t go back to the Empire. Would the Jedi have allowed her to return? Not likely. Where had the chaos of the war tossed the Togruta? It wouldn’t be awkward to bring the former tyrant along. It would be cruel.

 

“I’m sorry, Arcann. I’m not staying long and I have a personal matter to attend to. If it was for anything else, I’d allow it.”

“I understand, Commander.”

 

Arcann glanced behind her and the Sith could hear feverishly paced footsteps coming from the direction of the door that lead to her starship. She smiled knowing full well how ridiculous that dock worker must look, how panicked. Arcann looked back to Callahira and raised a brow.

 

“My Lord! I’m sorry, am I interrupting?”

 

The Imperial was out of breath and the Dark Lord was straining to revert her expression back to cold and serious. She turned to her left to face the man with her features already stiff and piercing.

 

“What is it, Lieutenant?”

“Ah. Greetings, Arcann.”

“Hello,” Arcann replied, rather astonished that he was acknowledged so politely and casually.

“Lieutenant,” Callahira commanded and the Imperial’s attention flew right back to her.

“Yes! I found the source of what was interfering with the navicomputer, I think.”   
“You think?”

 

The dock worker’s eyes widened a bit, his panic increasing, if that was even possible.

 

“Uh, well, the engineer says there’s nothing wrong mechanically. And then when he went to reboot the system, there was a loud bang from the cargo bay. It was, um, it seems,” the former Imperial was trying so hard to spit out everything that had happened in the past 30 minutes as quickly as possible before he was interrupted.

“Skip to the end. Did you fix it?”

 

Arcann raised his brow again at that. Her attitude was different yet so similar to his late sister’s. The Commander wasn’t cruel necessarily, but she never seemed to go out of her way to comfort others or put them at ease. Or maybe she did, but not underlings such as this ball of nerves. Maybe it was just a bad morning altogether. Maybe the matter that was bringing her to Voss was pressing and extremely important.

 

“No, my Lord. But! But we know the source of the interference and it seems a holocron is...acting up? Is that common? Anyway, it keeps shorting out the navicomputer and…” he trailed off with a look of concern.

“And what?”

“Flushing the toilet. Uh, my Lord.”   
  


Callahira dipped her head back with her mouth gaping open in a sign of exasperation. She knew exactly what the man was referring to. This particular holocron was found in a ruined temple on Yavin 4, deep in the jungle and far away from where the Massassi roamed. Perhaps that should’ve been taken as a hint. Talos Drellik had informed his Master that they really should take the time to further explore the old Sith ruins, even though Revan was defeated and a whole host of horrors awaited them in the near future. The ordeal they went through to acquire this holocron cost them several migraines. Holocrons were infinitely varied. Some held the knowledge of powerful Force users long since dead, sometimes even the Force user themself. Some merely stored coordinates or instructions. This holocron was able to speak, but it spoke in a language she couldn’t understand nor could Talos or any of his colleagues from the Imperial Reclamation Service. Callahira could tell no spirit was trapped inside, but she estimated it was a memory or a dark side entity, something that grew sentience the more power it drew into itself. The fact that it had the ability to affect the world around it was extremely dangerous and extremely amusing to the Dark Lord. She kept it around for its uniqueness and rarity, but nowhere near her bedroom. Neither her nor Talos had ever heard of such a thing. It was only sometimes and very briefly that Callahira could  _ almost  _ understand the holocron’s intent, even if she couldn’t translate a single word it was speaking.

 

“That will be all, Lieutenant. I can handle it from here.”

“If you would like, I could get an Alliance shuttle ready for you.”

“That won’t be necessary.”   
“Very well. If you require anything else, my Lord, I will see to it immediately!”

“Dismissed.”

 

The dock worker bowed his head, as was customary for any Imperial citizen to do when departing the company of a Sith Lord, stepped backwards a few times, and then turned to leave the hangar. Callahira lowered her head and shook it back and forth twice. She then looked up at Arcann whose face was that of a person completely and utterly confounded.

 

“Don’t ask. Not now, please.”   
  


Arcann’s slight smile returned, amused at the absurdity of everything he had encountered that had to do with the Empire and the Sith, especially the Sith. This might have topped the charts.

 

“I wouldn’t dare,” he stated wryly.

 

Callahira began to reach her hand up to place it on Arcann’s arm as a sign of reassurance, which would have been his cybernetic arm opposite her right, but pulled back, “I really am sorry. There will certainly be more opportunities to go to Voss,” she paused as a large and coy grin slid across her face, “if Talos has anything to say about it.”

 

Arcann smiled warmly at the Commander, both sides of his mouth participating now. It was so odd and almost unsettling to see the former Emperor smile. Maybe that was due to the fact that he had always worn a mask when he was out to kill the Outlander and crush the Alliance...or that he was always out to kill in general. A part of Callahira was pleased to see it, but another part loathed and detested it. It was as if it was artificial and showed that he had given up everything he was, who he was. Even though who he was _ was a bastard, _ a loss of self was absolutely unacceptable to Callahira. And there it was; she loathed his smile because she was not certain of who she was anymore. So many choices she made pushed her further and further away from who she thought she was and was meant to be. Falling in love was clearly the most idiotic. Sacrificing her own sense of self for another was the most shameful.

  
  


Callahira sent a small, polite smile Arcann’s way accompanied by a nod and turned to leave. Arcann watched her until she was out of sight, lost in his own thoughts. He looked down at his cybernetic hand, brow furrowed. He had noticed the moment when Callahira caught herself almost reaching for his arm. Did she retract because it was a prosthetic? No, she retracted because she likes to appear cold and calculating, not warm and compassionate. Or...No, she’s a Sith Lord. They all act a certain way. But it was interesting to sometimes glimpse the cracks in her visage. Those seemed to come more frequently these past few months. When Arcann first arrived on Odessen as an ally, he could never tell what she was thinking as he watched her speaking with others. He had only just realized that she was in a relationship with Theron a month before he tried to kill her on Iokath. One moment Arcann was impressed with her composure and the next kicking himself for being so dense. How could I miss that? How could I not  _ hear  _ that? He smiled to himself at the thought; if their day to day life is filled with such random absurdities, what must a Sith’s home life be like? His smile vanished in an instant. That was an inappropriate thought and one he could not even fathom. He hadn’t exactly had a normal life, by any meaning of the term. Nor a normal...dating life. He shook his head to eject the line of thinking from his mind and directed himself back to the war room to find Senya.

 

*******

 

Callahira walked up the gangplank and stepped inside the Fury. The air was thick and humid and the temperature must’ve been 20 degrees higher than outside. It distinctly felt like the rain forests on Yavin 4 during the summer months.  _ That damnable holocron.  _ Right away she heard it hissing in its foreign tongue all the way from the cargo bay.

 

“If you want to exist at all you will learn to behave and you  **will** obey me,” she shouted down the corridor even though she knew the thing could sense her intent already. She set her bag down in the saloon and strut towards the cargo bay.

 

The holocron’s voice sounded like pieces of metal being dragged across each other or a man speaking with daggers stuck in his throat, the vocal cords and metal vibrating in harmony. It pierced the ear drums and Callahira could feel each inflection on her heart. It wasn’t even a voice, exactly. Most of the time Talos couldn’t hear a thing, but he could feel a dip in his own mood and began to recognize that that was when the artifact was active. Callahira believed only Force sensitives could hear it clearly at all times and Talos agreed.

 

The holocron moaned louder and Callahira finally fixed her eyes upon it. She stiffened with anger and purpose, the dark side funneling into her, as she spoke, “you  **will** obey. Your suffering will never end so long as I exist in this universe. I am your _master_ , creature. You  **will** respect my power or you will end up at the bottom of a lake or dropped into a river of lava.”

 

The small pyramid vibrated and the voice inside shrieked a few words of its strange language. They squeezed and stabbed at Callahira’s core. She commanded the dark side to completely envelope her soul, a feeling as cold as ice and just as scorching.

 

“ **_Enough!_ ** ”

 

Her voice, her energy, shook objects that were loose in the room, including the holocron. The metal walls expanded and contracted with a momentary creak. Then there was only silence. She kept her eyes on the artifact for a few moments whose red aura dimmed until it was snuffed out. The atmosphere in the ship began to cool and it was already easier to breathe as the moisture cleared out. Callahira let the air into her body, as deeply as she could, and the dark side dissipated inside her, replaced by an equilibrium of the Force.

 

And with a, “hmph,” she headed towards the bridge. The navicomputer allowed her to chart a course to Voss. She set the autopilot to take over completely and the Fury began to rise. Callahira remained in the cockpit to watch the ship jump to hyperspace and then she was off to her quarters, right off the saloon.

  
  


***********

 

_ Swirling, curling red and orange reaching towards the stars, lashing at them like a whip. Tugged and dragged back. Around my waist, my arm. I’m glad it’s him and  _ **_I hate him_ ** _. I want to melt the flesh off his bones, my nails clawing at it, ripping his skin off while he shrieks. My own screaming. _

 

Callahira opened her eyes slowly and brought her hands from her crossed legs to her lap. That was all she could see from her meditation, focusing on her dream. She would likely only recall the dream itself while awake and not glean any new information. She’d have to try again or wait to dream that night. The Sith arose from the pillows on the floor of her room calmly, strapped her boots on, and made her way to the bridge. She pressed a holopad on a console and an automated voice informed, “approximately - twenty - one - minutes - thirty - one - seconds - until arrival at destination - Voss Orbital Station.” 

 

A red light flashed out of the corner of her eye. A new holo message had been sent to the Fury. “Play message,” she spoke as clearly as she could.

 

A Voss’ form appeared, his arms crossed in front of him.

 

“Greetings, Commander of the Eternal Alliance. I am Emissary Ralon-So. I have been informed that you will be arriving in Voss-Ka within the galactic standard day. Please check in at the Embassy in the Alien Enclave at your earliest convenience upon your arrival. Goodbye.”

 

The Voss, so matter of fact and to the point. And so boring. Lana always remembered little details such as this; informing the right people with the necessary information should they require it. The Voss make all off worlders check in. You can’t even land on the planet unless you pass a screening at their orbital station. The Voss, if they ever showed emotions or extended a hand to help anyone but themselves, would be grateful for the Eternal Alliance’s help repelling Vaylin’s invasion a year and a half ago. Thus the Commander and any member of the Alliance was allowed planetside, at least until they said otherwise. Was that all the time that had passed? It seemed like a century ago. There was such a visceral shift across the galaxy and inside Callahira after Valkorion’s, Vitiate’s, destruction. Perhaps it indeed had been another lifetime.

 

*********

 

Voss looked exactly the same as it had when the Sith first visited almost 10 years ago, save a few buildings still in need of repair from the Eternal Fleet's bombardment. The planet, at least Voss-Ka and the surrounding area, remained in a perpetual autumn. Callahira never liked it. She enjoyed learning about the Mystics and the Voss’ history, especially the Dark Heart, but the aesthetic was almost nauseating to her.

 

After checking in at the Embassy, she crossed the bridge, following the main path towards the cantina, at the edge of the Government District. The Sith could already feel Ashara’s presence. It felt...different. Darker. Afraid and angry?  _ Wonderful _ . Callahira couldn’t blame her. The guilt crept to the surface again.  _ What happened to you? _

 

The Togruta was knelt down on the floor meditating with her back to the door. The Dark Lord entered the small building and stopped. Ashara didn’t move for a few seconds, then she raised her head, “my Lord. Commander.”

 

She stood and turned around to face her old master. She was older, her features sharper, her lekku longer, and she wore darker clothing. The Force surrounding her was darker still, but equaled out when she met Callahira’s eyes.

 

“Ashara. It’s good to finally see you. I’m glad you’re alright.”

 

Ashara’s head dipped forward, her sight settling on the carpet, “I would’ve come to you sooner, Commander, but I needed to find myself. To grow. I needed to be alone to truly understand my place in this galaxy.”

 

“I understand. You are stronger for it, I can sense it.”

 

Ashara looked up and she replaced a pained expression with one of serenity.

 

“I think I was meant to receive this message now because I was ready to return to you. That sounds a bit silly. Maybe I was meant to be ready before...I was...it’s not good news...I would rather have not received it.”

 

Ashara looked down at the floor again, Callahira’s brow furrowing, “what are you  _ talking  _ about?”

 

“My Lord, I…”

 

The Togruta reached out with the Force to see if anyone but them was in the vicinity. They were not.

 

“It’s from your cousin.”

 

“ **What** ?”

 

“Please give me the time to explain.”

 

The Sith nodded, her expression becoming more and more vicious. 

 

Ashara continued, “after you disappeared, I remembered when you told me of your relatives. I have no family, you know that. I felt it was my responsibility, my  _ duty  _ to find them. Maybe help them. It took a year to track them down during the chaos, with only her name to go by. I was very careful. I only used public holonet channels and searched many names before and after. They are still on Dromund Fels. I went to them. It was difficult to get a false identity as a Sith to even be able to approach Imperial space again.”

 

Callahira crossed her arms and gave the look of impatience, a look Ashara knew well.

 

“To the point. I gave them my encrypted holo frequency should they ever need anything. If Zakuul threatened that planet, I had also planned to get them to safety. Or at least try. Two days ago I received this message from Aleama. I sent an encoded message directly to Odessen and came here to wait for you. The Voss were expecting me and I was already approved for landing.”

 

Aleama was one of three distant cousins Callahira had tracked down a year before Revan’s return. She had once read the names in her father’s journal when she was still a child: Aleama and Elassa, her sister. The Dark Lord never thought about this again until her ancestor, Lord Kallig, had appeared to her all those years ago. They were not of the Kallig lineage. They were her father’s cousin’s children. All slaves. Callahira met them, including a pregnant Aleama, bought their citizenship, forcefully, and found them employment. Aleama soon gave birth to a son she named, Baron. Although they were not of her great Sith heritage, she had no other family. Her mother and father were dead and she hadn’t been visited by Kallig in years nor did she think she ever would again. Callahira found herself becoming protective of them, coveting them. The thought of them in danger because of her...the unimaginable loss. Was this what was lost in her dream?

 

“Play the message, please. Now,” the Commander’s voice strained to get out.

 

Ashara laid her holocom on a small table in the corner of the room and proceeded to the door to make sure no one entered or was able to overhear the message. The former apprentice knew that this was a secret Callahira never intended anyone to know about and that she would destroy anyone who ever found out. Except Ashara. She shared this information willingly, out of trust and a need to make sure someone would always look out for these three cousins.

 

“Miss, I don’t know if you will get this, but I must try,” Aleama’s voice was soothing and melodic unlike her cousin’s.

 

“In recent weeks, people have noticed me. Usually the individuals in my neighborhood and in the market where I work don’t give me a second thought, but...it sounds crazy, but I think we are being watched. It is as if they know who we are and of our relation to...your friend. Perhaps I am being paranoid, but ever since your friend was...something happened to your friend months ago. Some people...perhaps they wish to harm her - your friend...through us. Maybe they are angry about...the changes here. I hope I am wrong, Miss. Please do not worry your friend. I only ask that you call me back and...I don’t know. Be safe, Miss. I will remain vigilant.”

 

Callahira felt as if she might cry right then and there. She knew exactly what Aleama meant. Ashara turned around, “I don’t know if she’s talking about the Empire or...him. I sent a holo message back saying I would look into it and inform her right away if I learned anything.”

 

The Sith swallowed hard and tried with all her strength to breath more deeply and slowly. She could not.

 

“You are not the only one who knows of them, Ashara.”

 

Callahira clenched her jaw tightly and her hands squeezed into fists.

 

“It could be because of Acina,” Ashara whispered.

 

The Sith spun around, “ **and what if it’s not?! What if that** **_bastard_ ** **has given that information to those...** **_freaks_ ** **? To use against me?”**

 

Callahira’s voice was shrill and piercing. She was on the edge, ready to erupt. The only other person she had told about her relatives was Theron back when she truly believed she loved him. When she thought she had figured out what love  _ was _ .

 

“He knows exactly how I’ll react. He knows I will leave a trail of destruction and blood behind me to seek revenge. He knows I’ll do  **anything** to keep them safe! I will  **slaughter** him! I will slaughter his father and mother  _ in front of him _ .”

 

Ashara felt a twinge of fear grab ahold of her throat. The Dark Lord could feel it. Callahira drew her eyes closed and inhaled. Then exhaled slowly.

 

“Ashara,” she spoke softly and meekly, “I can’t.”

“Cal, I’m here with you. I will help you. Nothing will happen to them, I  _ promise _ .”

“Ashara...I can’t lose them. Not like that. Not to  _ him _ ,” she whispered and one tear betrayed the Sith as it slipped down her cheek.

 

The Togruta closed the distance between them and embraced her former master. Callahira slumped her body and laid her head on Ashara’s shoulder, defeated.

 

“ _ You won’t _ .”


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Callahira and Ashara return to Odessen and shortly after, Cal and some friends take another trip. There's some laughs, some steamy bits, and some more laughs.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a literal mess, but I made myself laugh.
> 
> And I wouldn't necessarily call it NSFW. There's like one line about a boob. A tiddy. ;)

Ashara accompanied her old master on the Fury, no longer in need of a ride with the merchants she arrived with.

 

Callahira laid on her bed in her quarters with her eyes closed, but not asleep. She tried to focus on her breathing and emotions. Surprisingly, the Sith holocron remained silent throughout the trek back. Perhaps it could feel its master on the edge and knew she would toss the artifact out an airlock before trying to tame it again. _Good._ _It has learned fear. Maybe one day we’ll get to ‘respect’._

 

The ship dropped out of hyperspace and the Fury’s computers indicated that it was night on the side of planet where the Alliance was housed, about three o’clock in the morning in galactic standard time and, coincidentally, in Odessen time as well. Ashara had stayed on the bridge for the few hours it took to return. As they breached the atmosphere, a chirp informed the Togruta that the Fury had received a holomessage, probably at some point during hyperspace. “Play message.”

 

A little, blue Sana-Rae flickered into being.

 

“Commander. Ashara. Please come see me in the Force Enclave when you arrive on Odessen. I know. I will be awake.”

 

Ashara sighed mournfully. That Mystic had already seen or felt what Callahira had been through. Did she know the specifics? She wouldn’t dare tell anyone else, would she? Ashara wasn’t too familiar with the Voss, but knew they were honorable or at least discrete, not capable of deception. She wouldn’t share a vision with anyone other than whom the vision pertained to...would she?

 

“Ashara,” a soft voice spoke from behind her.

 

The Dark Lord was standing on the threshold between the saloon and the bridge. Her armor was back on and her day bag hung from her shoulder, all ready to return to base. Ashara stood up with a meager smile and walked with her former master to the exit. The autopilot landed the ship moments later and the engines lowered in pitch as the Fury settled.

 

“The Voss Mystic, Sana-Rae I think you said her name was, asked that we meet her in the...Force Enclave? She said she’d be awake. I think she had a vision or something. Of Voss.”

 

Callahira silently nodded, her eyelids heavy and her features drained of emotion. Ashara was hesitant, but gently linked her arm with her former master’s. The Sith allowed it. They stepped off the ship into the cool, stillness of the Odessen night. The air smelled both earthy and sweet. It was spring on this spot of the planet and the wildlife was singing in every direction. A dutiful, little...something...hopped in front of the two women, croaked, and jumped away into the brush. Ashara let out a small chuckle. 

 

“Charming.”

“You say that now, but you haven’t met the shade stalkers.”

“Oh, those sound adorable!”

 

Ashara giggled again. She could see it pained her old master to deliver any light dialogue and so she remained silent as they crossed the durasteel bridge to the Alliance base. A mechanic and two guards were the only souls in the hangar bay. One soldier only spoke the word ‘Commander’ as they left the room, and the two women ventured down the hall to the war room. T7-01 was the only ‘person’ there. Callahira motioned that they should turn left, down another corridor. Luckily, the droid remained focused on whatever it was he was doing and didn’t notice the two passing by. A light flickered on the ceiling as they strolled under it.  _ Bzzzzap.  _ And it went out. Callahira huffed air out of her nose in amusement. She knew someone would see to it eventually. The Alliance’s base had yet to install proper ceiling and wall panels in many of its rooms. They had  _ other  _ concerns almost consistently for two years. So it wasn’t surprising that everything was not up to par…or up to Imperial standards. Those were the  _ only  _ standards, Callahira often insisted.

 

Sana-Rae was standing at the back of the Force Enclave in front of a petite waterfall that poured in through a crack in the ceiling and emptied into a tiny pond. There were only two other people in the room, a Sith and a Jedi, both of whom were currently lost in meditation. The Mystic lowered and raised her head, acknowledging Ashara and Callahira’s presence.

 

“Welcome back, Commander. Welcome, Ashara. I am a Voss Mystic. My name is Sana-Rae,” the colorful woman spoke as calmly as she always did, as the two approached.

“It’s good to meet you, Sana-Rae.”

“What’s happened now,” the Sith interjected sourly.

“Please, come sit with me.”

 

Sana-Rae motioned for the other two women to follow. She approached pillows that had been placed around the small pond for Force users to meditate on. The Voss gestured to the ground and the three sat, but Callahira didn’t meet the Voss’ eyes, preferring to stare at the water.

 

“I felt your pain from across the stars, Commander. I saw three human faces: two women and a young boy. They belong to you. You are afraid. You ache and burn.”

“Sana, please stop,” Callahira said calmly, but forcefully.

 

Ashara’s eyes kept switching between the Mystic and her old master. She stayed silent as she watched Callahira’s face to judge whether or not she might need to interrupt lest the Sith lash out again...and kill anyone.

 

“Lana will know at some point. When that is, I cannot say. I can inform her now if that is your wish.”    
“It’s three in the morning, Sana-Rae,” the Dark Lord replied, finally sending some sarcasm the Mystic’s way.

“It is important to you.”

Callahira sighed apologetically, “I’ll have someone...I guess I’ll tell her tomorrow. I should send someone to Dromund Fels immediately. Too bad my best spy is a,” she stopped to change the words she would’ve used to something less vulgar, “ _ traitor _ .”

 

“As you wish, Commander. It would do you well to remain in the Enclave and meditate upon your emotions.”

The Sith was so psychologically and physically exhausted, she didn’t have the strength to use snark. Besides, she agreed with the Voss.

 

“I will.”

“I will as well, my Lord.”   
“Ashara, you should get some sleep. I’ll send for someone to find you a bunk or you could just stay in my quarters. I’ll have a bed brought in,” Callahira started to rambled before the Togruta stopped her.

“Cal, I want to stay and meditate. It’s fine. That can all be taken care of later. Please.”

 

The Dark Lord’s shoulders drooped down and she nodded as she acquiesced.

  
  


************

 

Callahira raised her head allowing the pressured water to cleanse her face and gently massage the headache she awoke with that afternoon. The Dark Lord never slept in unless she was critically injured and was on a slab in a medbay. If anything, she neglected sleep when overwhelmed.

 

_ How could I not have thought of this? Why didn’t I check on them when Theron turned traitor? Or before that? How could anyone have found out about them unless I told them? My father didn’t even tell me. That weak, little worm. No one could’ve known unless Ashara or Theron spoke of them. Ashara wouldn’t. What if they followed her...would she have been careful enough when she visited them? I don’t care if Theron is doing this to destroy the Order from within, if he’s the source of the leak  _ **_he will burn_ ** _. ‘It is not his fault’. I don’t care. It  _ **_is_ ** _ his fault no matter what it is that threatens my family! _

  
  


The water’s temperature began to dip.  _ How long have I been standing here?  _ Callahira’s heart began to race. _ Idiot woman! You’ve wasted half a day that could’ve been used to keep your family safe!  _ The Sith dressed quickly, throwing on casual, soft robes that hugged her curves, instead of armor.  _ Your hair and makeup.  _ She grunted and huffed as she stomped over to her vanity. Applying her cosmetics never took long, adding just enough smeared black to seem intimidating. Pausing in front of the mirror, she decided she wouldn’t style her hair methodically as she always did.  _ Just dry it and give it some volume...maybe curls.  _ She measured her appearance in a full length mirror that hung next to a wardrobe.  _ Oh, baby! I look rather seductive like this. Softer? A siren. Draw them in with sweetness  _ **_and then obliterate them_ ** _.  _ She smiled at her reflection and sashayed out of her quarters.

 

Lana was in the war room, speaking via holocom with a human man Callahira didn’t recognize. His image blinked out as the Dark Lord approached.

 

“Commander. Good morning,” Lana teased.

 

Callahira just raised a brow and the corner of her upper lip.

 

“I’ve sent an Alliance agent, who is actually a native of Dromund Fels, to shadow your family.”

 

The Commander’s eyes widened fully, “Keep! Your voice!  **Down** !”

 

“Commander, it’s alright, I-”

“I don’t know who to trust anymore and anyone could be a spy for those  _ idiots _ . You will  **never** mention my...them... in company other than myself!  **Alone** ! Ever again.  _ Do I make myself clear _ ?”

 

A dark, purple mist began to emanate from the fuming Sith. Callahira had never spoken that way to Lana, the way a Sith Lord would scold a subordinate. Lana didn’t take offense and indeed felt a bit foolish and unprofessional for having spoken aloud a secret so greatly prized by her Commander.

 

“Absolutely, Commander. My apologies. It will never happen again.”

 

Callahira’s breath remained labored as she continued, “who is this agent you’ve sent?”

 

“He used to work for Imperial Intelligence under me. I’ve scrutinized every facet of his entire life. He’s clean. Furthermore, he holds no ill will where Acina is concerned. Even if he did, he’s level headed and loyal to the Alliance. And a great admirer of yours, I might add.”

 

“Do you?”

“I’m sorry?”

“Do you hold any ill will?”

 

Lana paused for a moment and continued carefully, “It...was unfortunate, but I understand why you did it. I’m...my loyalty will never waver, Commander. I trust you. I believe in you, I always have.”

 

Callahira exhaled sharply through her nose as she turned her eyes away. Did she believe in herself?

 

“Just because we don’t always agree doesn’t mean I would ever betray you. I hope you know that.”

 

The Commander took a deep breath and relaxed her tightly wound muscles, “I do believe you. I’m...sorry, Lana. I am not myself today. Please inform me of every update from your agent, immediately.”

 

“Of course, Commander. Day or night, I will alert you. I thought perhaps I might have Torian send some trusted friends to D...the planet, to see if there are any good bounties out.”

 

“I will go to him if I think that’s necessary. Please only speak about this with me.”

 

“I promise, I will bring everything directly to you and not another soul.”

 

Callahira’s eyes casually scanned the rest of the war room. T7-01 was the only other ear there. She shut her eyes and drew the Force around her to calm her boiling emotions.  Just then she recognized a presence approaching from behind.

 

“Arcann,” she said as she opened her eyes, not turning around.

 

“I’ll never get used to that,” Arcann spoke flatly as he came into the room, approaching the two women. Callahira could feel Force sensitives at a great distance due to her Force Walking abilities. Even Lana was outshined. But if she was distracted or under duress, the range would ebb.

 

“Arcann, it’s good you’re here, actually,” Lana chimed in.

“ _ Is it _ ,” he asked sarcastically.

 

Callahira tried to hide a chuckle behind her hand. Unfortunately, her shaking body gave her away. For some reason, Arcann’s self-deprecating jokes never got old for her. The former enemy who committed heinous crimes for years now standing on Odessen, hand in hand with the Alliance, creating peace with fervor. Perhaps it was so amusing to the Sith because of the off colored nature of it all.

 

Arcann looked to the Commander, a slight grin on his face for her appreciation of his jab, but his gaze was caught by the Sith’s unusually free flowing locks. As she giggled, he found himself staring and quickly looked back to Lana who was giving him a knowing smirk. His expression turned from a heavy-lidded look of contentment to blank in an instant.

 

“Anyway, Tython has granted your request. Along with any other Alliance members who wish to go, I suppose.”

“Tython?! What request,” Callahira spouted as she nearly choked on the air she gasped.

“I...wished to visit,” Arcann shyly replied.

 

Callahira’s mood instantly lifted as she instinctively shifted away from thoughts causing her distress.

 

“You have quite the wanderlust, Arcann. Voss. Tython. What about Nar Shaddaa?”

“I’ve been there.”

“Kriff, I wish I could’ve seen that! Did you go to the Red Light District?”

“No.”

“ _ Liar _ .” 

“Anyway, Tython,” Lana interrupted so as to stop them, well her, from entering  _ that  _ sort of conversation.

“The last time I was there, I was blowing up Jedi and artillery. Oh, this should be good. Tell me you want company.  _ Tell me _ ,” Callahira announced with a wide and mischievous grin.

 

Arcann’s brows raised inwardly as he sent Lana a pleading look.

 

“Maybe...that’s not the best idea, Commander.”

“Oh, but sending the former Emperor of Zakuul who, I might add, also blew it up,  _ is _ ? Come on, Lana. I need to be cheered up! Seeing their little, angelic,  _ horrified  _ faces will do me good.”

 

Lana shrugged at Arcann. The woman had a point. He looked back at Callahira, who had a hand on her hip. 

“I want to go too,” Ashara shouted excitedly from the back of the room and she ran towards the group.

“It’s fate, I swear,” Callahira retorted.

“If that is your wish, Commander,” Arcann conceded.

“It is. To the Fury!”

“ _ No blowing up Tython _ ,” Lana hollered at the Dark Lord who was halfway to her quarters already, Ashara in tow.

  
  


***********

 

Callahira tossed her day bag on a couch in the saloon and walked briskly to the Fury’s bridge. Ashara was polite enough to show Arcann around as he had never stepped foot inside the Commander’s starship.

 

“ _ Son of a nerf herder _ ,” Callahira screamed at the top of her lungs.

 

Arcann and Ashara took one panicked look at each other and ran from the conference room to the bridge.

 

“What is it?”

“I’m going to boil it, smash it, throw its remains in a volcano...Ashara, I swear to…kriff!”

“What are you talking about?”

“That fracking...huttspawn…damn...piece of fark... _ holocron _ !”

 

Callahira stormed out of the room towards the cargo bay and the Togruta took a look at the console her old master had been working on. The astrochart was informing the Fury that it was at the center of a black hole and that its destination was in dark space, outside of the galaxy.

 

“Force preserve us.”

“What is going on,” Arcann whispered to Ashara.

“Why did she hold on to that thing? Why did she keep it on the ship?! Um...you may want to wait here. Just in case.”

“ _ Just in case _ ?”

 

Callahira threw open the bulkhead door to the bay, which was thankfully unlocked, without lifting a finger. She caught a glimpse of the Sith holocron’s illumination and it quickly went out. The Dark Lord approached it slowly, her eyes narrowed into slits, jaw clenched tightly. Ashara arrived just in time to see her old master throw the artifact straight into the durasteel wall,  _ denting  _ it. The little pyramid tumbled a few times and settled at the Togruta’s feet. Callahira looked up at her face which looked like it was caught between laughing and crying.

 

“What?”

“Cal...sometimes I really wonder.”

“The navicomputer should work now. To Tython!”

 

The two returned to the bridge and found Arcann sitting in the captain’s chair.

 

“Course plotted,” he smiled proudly.

“Don’t you ever worry that thing might cut off life support while we’re sleeping or something,” Ashara directed towards the Sith.

“If it did, it knows I’d haunt it. So no,” Callahira responded casually.

 

Arcann shot up a concerned brow at the Commander who waved her hand to signify that it was nothing to worry about. 

 

“Mind if I pilot,” Arcann asked tentatively.

“Forget the holocron, what if the madman lands us in a star,” Callahira chuffed.

“It’s just...this ship is magnificent. I took a look at the hyperdrive, briefly, and I kind of...really want to take her for a spin.”

“ _ Take _ her? For a  _ spin _ ?”

 

Ashara was trying with all her might not to burst into laughter. 

 

“One does not  _ take  _ the Fury for a  _ spin _ .”

“The...Fury?”

“That’s the name of the ship.”

 

Arcann too was then straining not to smile. He pulled his lips into his mouth and contorted his face.

 

“ _ What,”  _ Callahira spit.

 

It was too much for Ashara. She let out a long snort and bent over, roaring with laughter. Arcann’s chest and shoulders were moving up and down with a silent laugh, his smile no longer hidden.

 

“It was a gift. It came with the name,” the Sith spoke, unamused.

“F... **_Fury_ ** !”

 

Arcann let out a cackle this time, from deep in his throat, and Callahira’s expression looked like she’d seen a ghost...well, the first time. He was  _ laughing _ . Ashara tried to catch her breath as she leaned back upright, her face covered with tears. About twenty seconds of mockery went by when Arcann finally spoke again.

 

“It’s a...good name. For a ship,” Arcann’s body was vibrating again, “very, uh...Sithy.”

Ashara and Arcann both erupted into hysterics again and Callahira rolled her eyes back and walked towards her quarters, a quiet smile growing on her face.

  
  


***********

 

Callahira strolled towards him, wearing a black, silky negligee. She stopped at the foot of the bed, her ivory eyes slightly glowing in her dimly lit quarters. He cooly reciprocated the smile she now displayed. She slipped two fingers under one strap of her gown and brought it slowly over her shoulder, down her arm. He chuckled and shook his head. The Sith then lowered the remaining strap and let her gown slide down her body and onto the floor, revealing her naked form. He smiled warmly at her.

 

“Come here, you tease.”

 

Callahira bit her index finger playfully and placed one foot on the bed, then the other, raising herself to stand upon it, towering over him.

 

“Get down here already!”

“Tsk tsk. Patience is a virtue,” she replied, her voice smooth and seductive.

“You’re evil, you know that, right?”

“Yes,” the Sith giggled and knelt down, placing her legs on either side of his hips.

 

He groaned and sat up to place her breast in his mouth. The Sith slid her fingers into his hair.

 

“Mmm.  _ Theron _ .”

 

**********

 

Callahira opened her eyes, feeling the pressure and heat that had built between her legs as she slept.  _ Well, at least it wasn’t that other dream. Or maybe that would’ve been better.  _ She sat up and rubbed her temples. She was reminded that she still loved Theron,  _ maybe _ , and the grief she momentarily felt was replaced by disgust and anger. The Dark Lord huffed as she brought herself out of bed. A small vanity informed that her makeup was still acceptable, but she slicked a brush through her hair a few times.

 

Callahira exited her room and found Arcann and Ashara sitting in the saloon.

 

“Having a nice chat?”

“Have a nice nap,” Ashara quipped.

 

Panic shot across the Sith’s face for a moment and she worried she had been making noises while she dreamt or that perhaps her former apprentice had picked up the ability to read minds somewhere during her travels over the years.

 

“...Yes. Thank you,” Callahira replied dubiously, keeping her eyes on the Togruta’s face for a few moments to gauge her reaction. Ashara only looked a little perplexed, probably because of her former master’s sheepish reply and current expression.

 

The Sith cleared her throat, “how are we for time?”

“We’ve got about another hour, Cal. Uh, Commander.”

 

_ An hour? What are we going to do for another, awkward hour? I wish that dream had lasted a little longer now.  _ Callahira lowered her head in contemplation and mindlessly scratched a part of her scar under her left eye.  _ Maybe sabacc. _

 

“Mine itch all the time,” Arcann spoke softly.

 

Callahira’s head shot up and her quip came to her at the speed of light.

 

“You know, they have a cream for that.”   
  


Ashara snorted and covered her mouth with her hand. Arcann looked to the Togruta confused and a bit nervous. Was she laughing at his scars? Her scars? Did he miss something? The man looked back to the Sith who was exhibiting a self-satisfied smirk. Obviously she wasn’t being literal. 

 

“Uh. They do?”

“Cal! You really need to stop tormenting him.”

“You’re the one who’s laughing, my young apprentice.”

 

_ They have a cream for...that...great Izax, really?!  _ Arcann lowered the bridge of his nose to rest between his thumb and middle finger.

 

“Well played, Commander,” Arcann uttered from behind his hand.

“If you feel a burning sensation after applying the cream, I recommend visiting a urologist. And perhaps a proctologist afterwards for good measure.”

 

Ashara’s entire face was now covered by both of her hands and she felt her eyes watering as she continued to snort periodically. Callahira just smiled a crooked smile, her eyes lazily acknowledging Arcann. She was so very pleased with herself.

 

“You defeated me in battle again, Commander. I’m honored,” Arcann mumbled, his face still partially shielded by his right hand.

 

“So, who wants to play sabacc?”

 

No one responded to the Sith. Ashara was too busy trying to breathe through her laughter. Arcann’s hand was now secured over his eyes and he wondered if it would’ve been more merciful for the Commander to have killed him on Voss all those years ago.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Callahira, Ashara, and Arcann arrive on Tython. They're greeted by a well-known figure (who is just another of my OCs I inserted). Callahira Force Walks and makes a huge misstep. The trio then heads back to Odessen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a longer chapter (is it??). It's got some steam, some feels. All that good stuff.
> 
> Also, if you want, I was listening to this music as I wrote Callahira's Force Walking scene. So purty :)
> 
> Here's the link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3_gfMpeE3VE
> 
> It's kind of rushed towards the end, oops. I just had to get it out! May add more to that later.

Arcann expertly docked the Fury with the Tython Orbital Station after a few panicked transmissions warned the Imperial starship that they would be fired upon. The matter was resolved without anything blowing up.

 

“We should probably leave our lightsabers here, Cal.”

“You must be joking.”

“We’re not going to need them and all three of us are...not Jedi.”

“Hmm. Good point. Besides, if any padawans get uppity, I can always shock them,” Callahira touted as she pranced to the gangway.

 

Arcann smirked at that and set his lightsaber next to Ashara’s and the Commander’s on a shelf that was hanging on the back wall of the bridge.

 

The orbital station was filled with Republic troopers and Jedi and the group was met by a broad shouldered and heavily armed Nautolan.

 

“Commander of the Eternal Alliance?”

 

Callahira nodded as Ashara and Arcann stopped behind her. Ashara was trying to remain calm, but began to feel a swarm of guilt, anxiety, and embarrassment rising inside her. She hadn’t set foot on Tython in almost 14 years. The lightness of mood that had been achieved earlier in the day was beginning to dampen.

 

“I am Corporal Sen Malor. I will be escorting you down to Tython.”

“Very well,” the Commander replied calmly.

 

The group casually walked towards the shuttle bay, lead by the trooper, and each Jedi seemed to sense the dark presences approaching. Callahira realized that she was in all black save a royal purple sash that kept her outer robe closed. She stood out like a sore thumb. More eyes were upon her than Arcann, whose figure was widely known, just as much as the Commander’s, and probably more loathed.

 

“Maybe it’s just me, but I’d swear we’re being watched,” Callahira whispered to her companions through an impudent grin.

“Cal, please-”

“I’ll behave, Ashara. Promise.”

 

Callahira patted the Togruta on the shoulder as the group boarded a shuttle.

 

The trio arrived at the Jedi Temple grounds sometime later, exiting a taxi that had taken them from the landing pad a ways off with the Jedi Knight escort who had replaced the trooper. The Knight was a young and unassuming Mirialan who was dawning the usual plain, brown, Jedi robes. He didn’t seem the least bit concerned with the group and not one emotion he emanated led them to believe otherwise. The Knight politely gestured Callahira to look down the Temple path and her eyes found yet another Jedi who was standing patiently, as if he expected them. The Mirialan bowed his head and made his way back to the taxi. 

 

“Commander. Arcann. Ashara. Welcome.”

 

Ashara couldn’t contain her surprise nor her guilt. She couldn’t even look up at his face. Callahira noticed her wilting former apprentice and looked back to the Jedi with suspicion and a hint of malice. 

 

“I am Master Marric.”

  
The Miraluka was of average build, but athletic, and wore his plain, Jedi robe over standard issue armor. His mask seemed to be made of bone, with one red tassel hanging down from it over by his right ear.

 

“It’s an honor to meet you,” Ashara spoke, her eyes still on the ground.

 

Callahira’s face quickly contorted into a disapproving shock as she whipped her head over to the Togruta.  _ It’s just a Jedi. Is she going to say that to every single one we bump into? Stars, Ashara,  _ **_they_ ** _ failed  _ **_you_ ** _. _

 

“You know who I am?”

“Y-yes. You’re the Hero of Tython,” the former apprentice spoke to the ground.

 

The Miraluka chuckled and brought his hands that had been firmly clasped behind his back to rest on both his hips.

 

“I’m also Battlemaster of the Jedi Order, Vanquisher of the Sith Emperor, and other such frivolous titles. Your accomplishments are known to me as well. Please, just call me Marric.”

 

Callahira’s expression transformed again and she sneered, “ ** _I_** actually ‘vanquished’ him, Jedi.”

 

The Miraluka laughed again, “So I’ve heard! Third time’s the charm?”

 

The corner of Arcann’s mouth slid upwards into a lopsided smile.  _ More like 3000th. _

 

Marric turned and waved for the group to follow him, a bright smile on his face. The three obliged and Ashara felt calmer, the Jedi’s casual and friendly demeanor putting her at ease.

 

“I’m sure you’ve noticed the awkward gawking and sideways glances. But if you’re anything like the Sith I’ve encountered over the years, you’re probably reveling in it, Commander.”

 

“Ah, it’s so nice to be understood.”

 

Marric brought his chin to his chest as he giggled again, “I wouldn’t worry about it. You are welcome here. We have much to thank you for, although I do have to ask that you remain on the Temple grounds. Not only would the Jedi Council be very upset if I lost track of you, there are also some nasty things out there in the wilderness. I wouldn’t want to be responsible for any bite marks or poisoning.”

 

“Oh yes! The crazy...shark headed...cannibal things,” Callahira trumpeted with a new skip in her step.

“Those would be the Flesh Raiders, Cal.”

“I like my name better,” the Sith whipped her hair to the side and continued with a proud strut.

“That’s right, you’ve been here before,” Marric directed over his shoulder to the Commander.

 

Ashara’s eyes grew wide in a panic. Callahira hadn’t told her apprentice at the time about the attack that was going to take place during Revan’s plot, out of sympathy and understanding. The Togruta wasn’t sure if she would’ve joined in or not, the doubt of that fact being what weighed on her.

 

“Arcann’s been here too,” the Commander recounted enthusiastically.

 

Arcann looked down at the feet walking in front of him, pain painting across his features. The Miraluka chimed in instantly.

 

“That’s all in the past. I was present on Korriban during Revan’s...whatever that was...manipulated, just as you were. And didn’t we all band together on Yavin 4 in the end? Well, I wasn’t there, but I heard of it. Wish I could’ve seen that. When faced with a common enemy, it seems the galaxy knows how to get along,” Marric chuckled and continued on, “sometimes I really fail to understand us.”

 

Arcann and Ashara were immediately relieved, but Callahira was disappointed by the notion and of her inability to unnerve this Jedi.  _ Oh well, probably for the best. I promised Ashara I’d behave. _

 

The foursome arrived at the steps to the Jedi Temple, a few padawans started to whisper to each other, and the Sith smirked at them.

 

“Not that I don’t trust you three not to do anything foolish, but I must reiterate that you remain on the Temple grounds and...ah, I see you didn’t bring your lightsabers. I thank you for that,” Marric spoke plainly and then looked to the Commander, “and please don’t use any Force powers for anything other than meditation. We wouldn’t want to frighten the children.”

 

Callahira let out an exasperated sigh with a smile and the Miraluka understood her sarcastic intent and nodded his head.

 

“Arcann, I understand you will be working with Master Shaada, a Consular,” Marric turned to another Knight stationed at the Temple entrance who immediately went inside, presumably to inform the Master of Arcann’s arrival.

 

The Sith glanced at Arcann with a skeptical expression, but let it go and returned her gaze to the Miraluka.

 

“Ashara, Commander, I’m sure you’d like to look around. If you need anything, such as a tour, just ask one of the Jedi Knights and they’ll oblige. You’ll be able to tell if they’re Knights or not. The padawans will be cowering,” Marric chuckled again.

 

“Where are  _ you  _ going,” Callahira probed with a hint of flirtatiousness. 

 

Ashara raised a brow. She knew this would happen and merely sighed.

 

“Oh you know, Jedi business. Dull and uneventful. Please enjoy your time here,” Marric delivered without hesitation, clearly unaffected by the Sith, to which she exhaled in disappointment.

 

The Miraluka withdrew into the Jedi Temple with purpose and disappeared out of sight. A Togruta approached almost instantly. She was slender, dressed in a white gown with her long, striped, white and purple lekku hanging in front. Her face and arms were a vibrant amber, white ovals painted over her eyes, and the crown of her head was adorned with a golden, Akul-tooth headdress. Her piercing, blue eyes seemed to smile, as a warm greeting.

 

“Welcome, travelers. Arcann, if you would follow me,” her voice sung over the distance between them, instilling a feeling of warmth and acceptance.

 

With once awkward glance towards his Commander and her former apprentice, he ascended the Temple stairs. Ashara and Callahira looked at each other and the Sith shrugged her shoulders.

 

“Well, apprentice, what shall we do?”

“If you don’t mind, I’d like to try to get an audience with a Council member,” the Togruta tentatively whispered.

“You’re looking at her.”

Ashara snorted, “A  _ Jedi  _ Council member.”

 

Callahira’s face drew in and she frowned, “You don’t owe them anything, Ashara.”

 

“I know, Cal, but I need to do this. Alone.”

“I understand, but please don’t just apologize profusely. Like the Miraluka said, ‘it’s in the past’.”

 

Ashara nodded with a smile, “what will you do in the meantime?”

 

The Sith’s well-known, mischievous smirk returned, “I’m sure I could teach these padawans a thing or two.”

 

“Cal…”

 

“Oh, phooey, Ashara. I wasn’t being serious. Maybe I’ll find a quiet place to meditate alone. Tython is the birthplace of the Sith Order, after all. Well, you know what I mean.”

 

“It’s full of so much history, Cal. You’ll love it. It’s too bad we didn’t bring Talos along.”

 

“Oh, kriff! Now I’ll never hear the end of it and he’ll give me that puppy look and I’ll just crumble. By the way, before you go, I’ve been meaning to ask...”

 

Ashara looked up from her beaming smile.

 

“What were you and Arcann talking about while I was napping?”

 

“I was just telling him the truth. I suffered while you were gone, I was lost, I found myself...I told him that if you could give him a second chance, then so could I. Things like that.”

 

“You are wiser than I, Ashara,” Callahira spoke with a sincere smile which Ashara returned.

"Before I forget, what were you dreaming about," the Togruta sent from a knowing smirk.

"Apparently, not that wise."

Ashara giggled as she turned to enter the Temple.

  
  


************

  
  


After many stumbling attempts at making conversation with Jedi, Callahira decided to venture further away from the Jedi Temple and found a nice spot near a stream where she could meditate. The Force felt comfortable and pleasing to her, as if it was trying to find balance. Callahira had already learned about the ancient Je’daii and the Great Schism that divided them into Jedi and Sith, but she was now  _ feeling  _ the history. It was pure, it was truth. It was the beginning and end.

 

Searching the vicinity, with her senses guided by the Force, Callahira decided it would be safe to leave her slumbering body where she sat to Force Walk. It usually took intense concentration and sureness of self to achieve, but the Force on Tython seemed to beckon her. The truth, the past, they called to her. It felt as if the ancient Je’daii wished to show her, show anyone, true balance. Callahira laid herself down upon the lush grass, closed her eyes, and allowed the sound of the babbling stream to lull her to sleep.

 

The Commander’s eyes opened and the world was clear, transparent, nothing could hide from the Force. She stood up and walked back towards the Jedi Temple. People’s auras glowed their own color; their emotions, their doubts, their fears...all laid bare. Callahira wondered if this is how the Miraluka ‘see’. It was beautiful and unclouded. She felt uninhibited and at peace. The weight on her shoulders, the thoughts of her past and present concerns, lifted and left her undisturbed. She stopped in her tracks and concentrated. The Sith then remembered that this is why Force Walking is so dangerous. One must travel here with purpose. The call of the Force, the spirit’s want to remain, was strong. The feeling of peace and lightness was seductive. Her body would wither and die if she remained here too long.

 

Callahira then felt a presence which was stronger than the rest of the souls around her. It was intense and radiant. She felt drawn to the Jedi Temple and followed the old paths back to where she had just come from. Once inside, she recognized the presence was oozing pain and guilt. The strength of it pulled her spirit closer, as if it was meant to. Up the stairs, winding through hallways - left and then right - as if she already knew exactly how to get there...she stopped at the threshold of a small chamber. Inside was Arcann and the Togruta Consular. His aura, his soul, was sharp and flashed between different colors, all clashing around him, fighting for dominance. The Jedi’s was a steady blue which was attempting to flow into the former Emperor.

 

The Dark Lord couldn’t stop herself from stepping forward towards the pain. She could hear his past, his mistakes, and his grief. A million voices crying out, begging him for mercy. Callahira rushed to him, her arms extending,  _ needing  _ to comfort him. Arcann’s head twitched as if sensing something new in the room with him. The Sith felt as if she would cry and she  _ had  _ to stop the voices. Callahira knelt down in front of him, his eyes closed, his aura stabbing at her like needles. Her hands reached forth and cupped his face. He twitched again, but this time his face released its tension. Calm. Peace. Acceptance. Forgiveness.

 

Callahira stroked his face from his temples down and cupped his jaw, then his chin. Arcann found himself leaning forward, one hand raising instinctively to touch... _ something _ . The Dark Lord, the Commander, the Sith, all of her, brought her face close to his. He did the same, tears forming in his eyes. He felt relief and something indescribable. As Callahira’s spirit pressed to his lips, he gasped and felt himself melting, his very soul giving in and embracing her.

 

Master Shaada’s eyes popped open, “Arcann!”

 

His body jerked awake and he caught his breath, sharply inhaling. Callahira’s spirit jumped up and she immediately felt as if her heart would explode from embarrassment. She sprinted as fast as she could out the door, through the twisting corridors, down the stairs, and out the Temple entrance. Jedi stopped in their tracks as they felt the extraordinary disturbance of emotions whisk by. Even though Callahira did not have a body, she felt as if she was panting, panicking. Her chest was pounding, her cheeks red hot. She spotted her slumbering self and rushed to greet it and become one with it once again.

 

Callahira shot up immediately with a small yelp. She placed both hands over her face and the humiliation inside of her, this intense, new  _ need  _ for Arcann, brought tears flowing. It helped relieve the pressure that had immediately begun to boil in her core.  _ No no no! Why did I do that? Oh, stars, how can I ever face him again? Why did you do this? You idiot! Why?!  _ She started to sob. So many emotions she had bottled poured out all at once. The Sith rocked herself back and forth, her arms cradling her bent legs, as her body trembled uncontrollably. 

  
  


****************

  
  


Arcann felt his face growing warm. For a moment he had forgotten where he was. He looked up at Master Shaada and saw that her brow was furrowed, with a look of extreme concern firmly in place. A few moments passed while Arcann’s eyes frantically searching the room.

 

“Perhaps we could continue this another time without any...interruptions,” the Togruta announced flatly.

“What was...it was... _ how _ is that possible,” Arcann could barely speak, his breathing shallow and labored.

“You could ask her,” Master Shaada spoke with an unamused and almost scolding tone.

 

Arcann wiped his watered eyes as he continued to gasp for air. He could feel his chest tightening, his heart pounding within.

 

“Arcann, it is all right. It is  _ all right _ . Breathe.”

 

He gulped the air and exhaled as slowly as he could, his head lowering slightly as he shut his eyes.  _ It was her.  _ Arcann could feel himself hardening under his clothes and drew a deep breath, exhaling once again, imagining all the tension and pressure was too leaving his body.

 

“Peace. Serenity. Calm. Breathe,” the Master’s words flowed from her as if a song on the wind.

  
  


**********

  
  


Ashara heard her holocom beeping and she sheepishly apologized to the Jedi Master with whom she was speaking. She left the Jedi library and stepped out into the hall. Callahira flickered into view, still folded on the ground.

 

“Ashara, I’ve....done something...terrible,” her voice choked through her insuppressible tears.

“Cal! What’s wrong!?”

“I need to get out of here...please.  _ Please _ !”

“Where are you?”

“Down by a stream...turn right out of the Temple.”

 

The Sith continued to weep. Ashara flew down the stairs to the ground floor of the Temple. Padawans and Jedi lept back as the Togruta charged forward, their faces shocked and worried.

 

“It’s fine! Everything’s fine! My master just has a bite from...everything’s fine,” Ashara shouted as she sprinted through the training grounds.

 

Callahira’s head was settled on her knees as she rocked. Ashara nearly tripped over a log as she spotted her old master. The Togruta scanned the area and saw that nothing and no one was around.  _ No bodies, that’s good. _

 

“Cal,” Ashara questioned calmly.

“It was stupid. I...I just want to go.”

 

The former apprentice knelt down beside the Sith and placed a hand on her shoulder.

 

“What happened, Cal?”

“I Force Walked...I...found him,” she began to whimper again, feeling whitehot embarrassment. She shut her eyes tightly and gripped her robe by her knees with white-knuckled hands.

 

“...Who?”

“I want to go.”

“All right, we can go. Let’s get you to the taxi and I’ll go retrieve Arcann.”

“ **_No_ ** !”

 

Callahira flew her gaze up to Ashara, face red, her ruined, black eye makeup painted down her cheeks from the tears. The Togruta could feel her panic and humiliation even without concentration.

 

“ _ I can’t look at him _ ! Just get me back alone!”

 

Ashara was utterly confused, but knew this was important and conceded. She had never seen her old master this undone. The Togruta helped Callahira up and held her as they walked back to the taxi pad. The Sith didn’t look up to what she knew would be stares. She couldn’t even look padawans in the eye. A Sith... _ crying _ ...pathetic.

 

“Do you mind if I send you off alone? I really should go tell Arcann.”

“Fine. Just...give me a head start. I need to get back to the Fury.”

“Will do. It’s going to be ok, Cal. We’ll get it sorted.”

 

Callahira sunk her head down to face the ground, a look of pure defeat, and stepped inside the taxi. She was off a moment later. The Dark Lord wiped her face with her sleeve, which was fortunately black as well, and allowed the breeze to cool her face, drying the remainder of her tears. Perhaps she would look presentable by the time she reached the landing pad or at least no one would be able to tell she had been crying.

 

The Sith arrived at the orbital station without any delay and quickly boarded the Fury. She immediately ran to her quarters to calm down and wash her face.  _ What am I going to say? How am I going to explain this? Maybe he won’t know it was me. Maybe...maybe he’ll think it was...the Jedi? Frack! He’ll know. He’ll know and I...what must he be thinking? Why can’t anything be easy? Why’d it have to be...this? I’d take that holocron killing me in my sleep any day. Force, please don’t make this any worse than it already will be. Please help me be able to do this. _

 

“ **_Argh_ ** ,” Callahira roared as she slammed her fists against the wall.

  
  


**********

  
  


The Commander stayed in her quarters on the Fury the entire voyage back, occasionally taking swigs from a bottle of Tarisian Ale she had stowed away, as she flipped through Alliance reports. Sometimes, there was only one way to handle life and that way was cutting off the outside world via inebriation. 

 

On Odessen it would be nearing midnight so Ashara and Arcann decided to get a few hours of rest before they arrived. Arcann, of course, knew he wouldn’t be able to fall asleep, and he emerged from the crew quarters not long after. He did, however, change into more comfortable clothes: a loosely fitted, white tunic with drawstring slacks. The former Emperor sat himself down on the semi-circle couch in the saloon, elbows on knees, jaw resting on palms. He wrestled with his thoughts, trying to understand what he experienced while meditating on Tython. It was Callahira, of that he had no doubt...but was it  _ her  _ her? Was it her mind? Her...spirit? Is that possible? He leaned back and rested his back against the couch, shaking his head.  _ It was beautiful, whatever it was.  _

 

He could feel himself hardening again and began to grasp and pull at imaginary hair on his head. He slapped his temples with the heel of his palms a few times, trying to beat the thoughts and urges out of his mind. He closed his eyes and began to focus on his breathing.

  
  


**************

  
  


_ Imperials...they’re trying to kill me? They hate me. I’m their enemy? Guns pointed at me. Dropships landing around me. So many soldiers. No no no, I’m not here to hurt you! I can’t stop for them, I can’t stop for anything. Keep going. Run faster, damn you! Don’t stop me! I have to get to the... _ **_No!_ **

 

Callahira was awakened by her own screaming. She could hear the explosion and feel the heat from the blaze on her skin as her consciousness returned. Her chest was heaving and her entire body was soaked in a cold sweat. One moment later, Arcann burst through her door and ran to her.

 

“Commander, are you alright?!”

“Ar... _ Arcann _ ? What time is...where are... _ where am I _ ?”

 

He couldn’t stop himself and before either of them knew it, he was embracing the Sith in his arms, her tears dampening his shirt. He put his hands on either side of her face as he lifted it to inspect, his cybernetic one offering a soothing cold on her left cheek. Her hair was matted against her temples and forehead from the sweat, her face covered in tears. She was trembling and hyperventilating, trying to regain her bearings. _ I’m on my ship. Back to Odessen. From Tython. I was drinking. Drunk. Fell asleep.  _ Callahira looked up into Arcann’s eyes and his face was so pained and worried, she thought she must still be dreaming.  _ Is this really happening? Is he here, sitting on my bed, looking at me like that? Holding me?  _ As he gently wiped her hair away from the right side of her face, letting his hand brush down the length of it, he looked down to her lips and then back up to her eyes. He…

 

“Cal! Cal, are you alright,” Ashara nearly slid passed the doorway, her feet barely able to slow her in socks.

 

Arcann quickly put his arms back by his sides and stood up. Ashara stared at him for a bit, being able to tell what she just interrupted, then she looked down at her old master.

 

“Cal, hey,” Ashara sat down on the bed as Arcann swiftly left the room.

“Ashara,” the Sith inhaled.

“Was it the holocron? A dream? Vision?”

“Vision…”

 

The Togruta put her arms around Callahira as Arcann had done not moments before, her chin resting on her old master’s head.

 

“It’ll be alright. We’ll figure it out when we get back to Odessen,” Ashara spoke soothingly, stroking Callahira’s dampened hair. 

 

The Sith shut her eyes and began to breathe deeply, returning her old apprentice’s embrace.

 


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The group gets back to Odessen. Callahira receives an update and also connects with an old friend. Cal and Arcann get some quality chat time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's a bit longer than the other chapters (seriously, I can never remember how many pages each was). This chapter kind of got away from me. It's not plot heavy and it's mostly dialogue. Which is fun!

 

Callahira felt the ship drop out of hyperspace and immediately began to gather her things. As the Fury slowly descended to land on Odessen, the Sith was already at the exit, figuring Arcann was the one piloting. If she could just get out of there before he saw her, it would be all right.

 

The gangplank extended as Arcann grabbed the trio’s lightsabers off the shelf on the bridge, and then made his way to the saloon. Ashara nodded at him as he placed both hers and the Commander’s lightsabers in her hands. As the two approached the exit, Callahira had already disembarked and was Force Speeding towards Sana-Rae, who was waiting patiently at the entrance to the corridor that connected the hangar bay to the war room.

 

“You have news. Let us discuss what you plan to do, with Lana,” the Mystic clearly and monotonically voiced as she always did.

 

“Again, it’s before dawn. It can wait. I...have to get to my quarters. I’ll look into this after I get some sleep.”

 

“Very well, Commander.”

 

Callahira zipped through the base to her room, not noticing that Ashara was shadowing her.

 

“Hey, Cal?”

 

The Sith was already to the entrance to her quarters and she ushered the Togruta inside, closing the door behind them. Callahira set her bag on the floor and proceeded to the bed and sat down, legs dangling over the edge. Ashara also set her bag down, placed Callahira’s lightsaber on her desk, and walked over.

 

“Are you alright?”

 

“I will be once I get some sleep.”

 

“Do...do you want to tell me what happened?”

 

“Not now. Not yet.”

 

“I understand. What about the vision you had? Do you need me to get anyone?”

 

“No, everything can wait until tomorrow...later today. Let’s just please leave this be for now.”

 

“Of course. If you need anything, I’ll be here.”

 

Emotions were tangling around the Sith, yanking her in every direction, and her mind caught on the image of Ashara on Tython, surrounded by her former brethren. All that had happened began to whisk across her mind’s eye. She saw the Togruta with Aleama, helping her for no other reason than kindness. She saw the look on the girl’s face as her masters died at the Sith’s hands on Taris. She saw her former apprentice holding her, shushing to calm the fear from a nightmare only a few hours ago.

 

“Ashara...you really are my savior, you know that? I owe you so much...so so much, for what you have given me and for...what I have taken from you.”

  
“Cal, don’t. It’s not…”

 

“It  _ is  _ my fault, padawan,” Callahira protested the Togruta’s thought before it left her lips as a few tears slid down her pale cheeks.  _ Padawan. _

 

“We can’t go back. We can’t,” Ashara then too felt tears welling in her eyes as she grabbed her former master into a tight embrace.

 

“I don’t deserve you, Ashara. I’m sorry. I’m  _ so sorry _ .”

 

The two continued to mourn the past, sobs freely let out, holding onto one another as closely as they could. 

 

“I love you, ‘Shara. I wanted to...I should’ve...I wish-”

 

“I love you too, Cal.”

  
  


*****************

  
  


Arcann stopped at the end of the Fury’s gangplank, watching the Commander’s figure disappear into the base. He felt his heart racing again, his breath becoming ragged. He looked down to the floor and every part of him ached. Senya then entered the hangar bay, saw her son standing by a shuttle, and proceeded towards him. She noticed his expression and quickened her pace.

 

“Arcann? Are you alright?”

 

He jerked his body, startled.  _ Great. My mother, of all people.  _ **_Now_ ** _. _

 

“I’m fine, mother. I just need to...I’m going to go to bed. Why are you awake?”

 

“I told that droid I wanted to be informed the moment you got back...never mind! Did something happen on Tython? Scyva’s tears, Arcann, tell me!”

 

“Senya, it’s fine. Nothing happened.”

 

“Are you  _ kidding  _ me? Have you seen your face? You can’t lie to me. I saw the Comm…”

 

Senya started to put two and two together and realized  _ something  _ had happened between her son and the Sith. What it was, she couldn’t tell.

 

“I just need to know; are you going to be alright? Is it bad? Is it serious?”

 

Arcann took in a deep breath, “I’ll be fine, mother. It’s nothing bad or...it’s not...I will be fine.”

 

Senya gently laid her hand on her son’s right arm and gave him a warm squint as her opposite palm stroked his face. He gave her a weak efforted smile and slowly trudged further into the base, his mother walking beside him.

 

***********

  
  


Callahira couldn’t sleep, not even if she wanted to. Thoughts darted across her consciousness, one after the other and around again; thoughts of Ashara, Arcann, her latest dream, Theron. She turned her head to a hologram where “8:42” floated and flickered midair.  _ Lana will be awake by now.  _ The Dark Lord preferred to wear armor that day. As foolish as it was, she felt stronger in it - protected from everything, including awkward situations and mortification.

 

Strolling out of her room, dawning the replica of Tulak Hord’s armor she commissioned, the Dark Lord spotted Lana already at work, switching between datapads with her typical, intense concentration. Callahira weaved through soldiers, Sith, Jedi, and mercenaries, anxiously scanning the war room for anyone wearing all white. She was greeted with, “Commander,” a dozen times before she reached the holomap.

 

“Lana?”

 

“Commander! I was just about to get you. I contacted my agent on _ the planet _ and just heard back from him.”

 

“Can we go somewhere private, please?”

 

“Of course.”

 

The two made their way into the cantina, passing through the breakfast crowd, to a small alcove and sat down opposite each other. Lana laid her datapad on the table and leaned in.

 

“My agent confirms with near-certainty that they are being watched. All but one of the suspected watchers are Imperial,” Lana whispered.

 

“All but one?”

 

“You must understand, none of this is concrete. Some of these ‘watchers’ may merely be some disgruntled merchant, angry with one of them for spilling bantha milk on him years ago.”

 

Callahira dipped her forehead down, shutting her eyes.

 

“Lana, I had another dream. A vision.”

 

Lana folder her hands in her lap, gesturing that the Commander had her full attention.

 

“I think I was...it must have been Imperial space. Where, I don’t know, but I can guess. There were soldiers and dropships approaching me from everywhere. Then,” Callahira swallowed the lump in her throat and she tightened her eyes shut, “there was an explosion.”

 

“Did you get a look at the landscape? What exploded,” Lana started to type furiously on her datapad, recording everything the Commander was saying.

 

“I can’t be sure...it was night. I ran across a...field? I don’t remember passing any structures. I couldn’t see what exploded. It must’ve been a building.”

 

“Anything off in the distance, perhaps?”

 

Callahira placed her fingers to her forehead as if pushing on her brain would make it remember. Her index finger began to trace the circular scar, “mountains? A city? It was cold.”

 

Lana was punching keys feverishly.

 

“Lana?”

 

“Yes,” she chirped without looking up.

 

“What do I do?”

 

Lana took in a deep breath of air and looked up at Callahira, setting her datapad down on the table.

 

“I’ll inform my agent. I’ll also ask that he gets a layout of your...their home, and the surrounding terrain.”

 

“And then what? I think I should just bring them here...oh, but her job...their home,” the Sith hissed out through her nose, aggravated that her life had now infected her cousins’.

 

“Look, my agent will keep an eye on them. I’ll mention explosives. In the meantime, we could talk to Torian. And if it comes to it, we’ll bring them to Odessen safely. It’s not the worst place to be,” Lana ended with a lopsided grin.

 

“The Mandos! Oh, I would feel so much better if they were there.”

 

“At your pleasure, Commander,” Lana picked up her datapad and flicked her finger across it a few times, “Torian’s offworld until the day after tomorrow. I can have him come back now, if you’d like.”

 

“A day and a half? No, that’s fine. Just...just keep me updated. Anything and everything.”

 

“Absolutely.”

 

“And Lana?”

 

“Yes?”

 

“Thank you,” Callahira said sincerely with a modest expression on her face.

 

Lana relaxed her muscles at that, her own face softening, “always.”

  
  


*************

  
  


It was already midday by the time Arcann emerged from his quarters. The former Emperor never knew what to do with himself. He would usually proceed to the war room and wait for instructions or go find Senya and follow her lead. Today, he only wanted to be left alone to sort out his thoughts. Instead of his usual white, princely ensemble, Arcann was donning what could be described as ‘casual attire’. However, he couldn’t possibly ever hope to blend in. The Force Enclave was too crowded, the cantina - too crowded, the hangar - too crowded; he could only hope to be alone outside the base. 

 

Arcann decided to venture out into the Odessen wilds, not too far away, but far enough that he wouldn’t be spotted from afar. Dr. Oggurobb’s imported wildlife were docile enough that the former Prince could wander passed, both parties undisturbed. A familiar feeling instantly gripped his core.  _ Oh, frack!  _ He heard a high pitched giggle coming from across a stream he had been venturing to. Arcann ducked behind a tree and drew on the Force to conceal himself. Whether or not it would work against someone like the Commander, well, he was about to find out.

 

“...just make sure they don’t know why they’re  _ actually  _ there.”

 

Arcann peaked out ever so slightly and saw that Callahira was taking a holocall out in the middle of nowhere. For privacy, perhaps?  _ Oh no _ .

 

“Hey, Sith? Are they rich?”

 

“In comparison to what? To  _ rob _ ? No! Andronikus, you-”

 

“Calm down, you crazy Sith. I’m kidding.”

 

“Thanks for hijacking one of my transports, by the way, you moof-milker.”

 

“But it was so easy! ‘ _ Hi there, benevolent-murder-droid-warship! I see you are transporting supplies to the poor refugees. I’m here to give you more! If you’d just let me board - _ ’”

 

“Andronikus...you’re an idiot.”

 

“I was just testin’ ya! Anyway, it’s good to hear your voice again, Sith.”

 

“I thought you said my voice was ‘shrill and piercing and unpleasant...and made the children cry’?”

  
“I would never! And I’m being sincere! I missed you and the antics we got up to.”

 

“I swear, if you propose to me one more time, you will lose more than a payday!”

 

“Would you  _ calm down _ ?

 

“Oh! Speaking of unrequited love, have you found any trace of my beloved monster?”

 

“I can’t believe you want that thing back.”

 

“I’m not complete without him! Like eyeliner! Or a handbag! Or a personal...person-eating bodyguard!”

 

“Psychotic...son of a...sithspawn. No, I haven’t. Why would I want to keep tabs on that guy?”

 

“I can’t believe you left him all alone!”

 

“Hey!  _ He  _ left  **_me_ ** ! And I’m happy about that!”

 

“My darling must be so hungry. Oh and thank you for keeping my baby safe, by the way.”

 

“She’s my baby too. Uh, do I still get her on weekends?”

 

“No. Maybe. Only if you give her new, shiny things. Like earrings. Or a new hyperdrive!”

 

“Ha! Sure thing, Imp. Watch your ass out there.”

 

“Go die in a fire! And...thank you...for…”

 

“Don’t mention it, Cal.”

 

Andronikus Revel’s hologram flickered out of existence as the Commander smiled behind her hand. Arcann didn’t know what to think and when the reality of his current situation finally dawned on him, the situation being that Callahira was no longer distracted, he regretted that he didn’t leave halfway through that call. Arcann closed his eyes and concentrated with all his might to shield his presence as much as he possibly could.

 

“Eavesdropping. Is  **rude** .  _ Arcann _ .”

 

_ Shit. _

 

Arcann stepped out from behind a tree and the Commander was but a few feet away.

 

“ _ Ah _ ! Oh,” Arcann flinched as he yelped.

 

Callahira giggled. She just  _ scared  _ the Eternal Emperor of Zakuul. He let out a long breath.

 

“I was walking. I didn’t know anyone would be out here. You were talking. I heard. I was already out here. You were...talking. I wasn’t eavesdropping. You were very loud.”

 

The Sith’s face betrayed how utterly amused she was by the bumbling Prince, a far cry from who she first encountered all those years ago.

 

“I wasn’t eavesdropping.”

 

“Just who are you trying to convince here?”

 

Arcann shut his eyes with a self-defeated smile and hung his head down.

 

“I’m sorry. I really didn’t mean to.”

 

“That’s your second warning. Third time...I’m not sure you’ll make it out alive,” Callahira delivered through a widening grin.

 

An awkward silence fell upon them and Arcann’s gaze drifted down to his feet he began to shuffle, brow lowering as he remembered what happened on Tython and on the ship.

 

“I was...wondering. What was...what happ-”

 

“We can talk about  _ anything  _ other than Tython and the F-”

 

“The  _ Fury _ ,” he delivered alongside a very proud simper.

 

“Ass.”

 

Arcann felt relieved, although he remained extremely curious. Hopefully one day she would tell him. He needed to feel that again, needed to understand. Wanted...more.

 

“So...who were you talking to?”

 

“Andronikus. We had fun. He’s a pirate. He’s good at stealing things and breaking the law.”

 

The former Emperor spat out air as he laughed.

 

“A handy sort of person to know.”

 

Callahira smirked and put her hand up to partially cover her mouth, “ _ Handy _ . Indeed.”

 

She giggled some more and Arcann shook his head.

 

“Hypothetically, if I overheard some of what you said, what’s this about a...man eating...monster?”

 

The Sith looked at him, mouth agape in pretend shock at the ‘realization’ that he had overheard her conversation.

 

“Khem Val. My most beloved creature,” she placed a hand over her heart and sighed longingly.

 

“What’s a Khem Val?”

 

Callahira laughed again. She loved when Arcann used his long, buried sense of humor - buried by the horrific nature of his upbringing and the shadow placed over him by the Sith Emperor himself.

 

“Khem Val is a shadow assassin. A species called the Dashade. They’re all but extinct. They have long served Sith, and Jedi I think,  and fought alongside them in battle as they devoured their master’s enemies. Well, the Sith’s enemies. Literally.”

 

Arcann’s eyes widened, hoping the Commander wasn’t entirely serious. Callahira smiled mischievously into his eyes.

 

“I watched. He ate a Sith. Well, he consumed his essence or what have you. They eat the Force...not unlike…”

 

She shook the thought of Vitiate from her head. No. Dashade were lovely, little monsters that served loyally and constantly threatened to kill their master. She smiled again.

 

“I found him on Korriban, locked in a stasis chamber within Naga Sadow’s tomb, waiting for his master, Tulak Hord, to return, to fight alongside him once again. He got  **me** . He was a tad disappointed, to say the least. Very bitter about it. Wouldn’t stop yammering. ‘Tulak Hord’ this! ‘Tulak Hord’ that! Eventually, we got to respect, but then...you blew me up...and I sort of...lost him,” Callahira related to Arcann very casually.

 

“Oh, and my former master, Zash, accidentally possessed him instead of me which, let me tell you, was both horrific and  _ hilarious _ ! My poor monster. We got rid of her. He was grateful,” the Sith voiced as she looked up to the sky with a misty eyed nostalgia.

 

Arcann’s features expressed a horrified sort of amusement with a hint of disbelief.

 

“Stars, I  _ really  _ do miss him. My beautiful boy! Oh, Arcann, my life would be complete if you found him for me,” the Sith batted her eyelashes as her voice raised in pitch.

 

“Wouldn’t he just eat me?”

 

Callahira bent over cackling and patted Arcann on his right arm, to which he looked down in surprise, and beckoned him to follow her back to the Alliance base. They strolled at a leisurely pace and had at least ten minutes before they would be in sight of anyone. The Sith was mindlessly brushing her fingers along her scars. 

 

“Do you mind if I ask where you got those?”

 

Callahira looked up at Arcann, then down to her armor, her hands... _ where did I get what?  _

 

Arcann pointed to his own face, underlining his eye where her scars lay on her.

 

“Oh. These,” she touched them again as she scanned the ground, brow furrowing.

 

“It was rude to ask. That was thoughtless of me, I apologize.”

 

“N-no, it’s fine. Um. It’s just that I suddenly can’t remember if I’ve ever told anyone,” the Sith began to scan the ground again, thinking intently on everyone she ever met after she received them, “I’m not even sure if I’ve explained that to Ashara. I don’t think anyone’s actually asked.”

 

“Well, you certainly don’t have to tell me.”

 

“Are they...are they, um...do they,” Callahira began to fumble on her words, not knowing exactly what she was asking.  _ Do they stick out? Of course they do. Are they jarring? Are they horrifying? Do they suit me? His scars don’t bother me. I don’t mind them. I like them. _

 

“I like them. I mean, they are...fine.”

 

The Sith looked up at Arcann, confused, her face skeptical.

 

“I mean, they’re nice.  _ Nice _ ? I’m an idiot.”

 

Callahira laughed and a snort slipped out, “ **No one** is arguing that!”

 

Arcann returned the laughter, his gaze caught on her hair, her eyes, her nose, her lips, her smile... _ Scyva’s tears, she’s beautiful.  _ His heart began to beat faster, his chest tightening and burning.

 

“Do you  _ really  _ want to know?”

 

“Only if you’re comfortable with that. You do know how I got mine, however. It’s not that...you don’t owe me anything. Just because we both...I’m going to stop talking now.”

 

The former Emperor couldn’t stop stumbling over his words, but Callahira found it endearing where she might have once have found it sickening in her old life as a Sith Lord. Here, she found his new warmth and compassion comforting and magnetic. His awkwardness amplified that.

 

“It’s not exactly a nice story. No kittens and rainbows, I’m afraid.”

 

“There were no kittens or rainbows on Korriban, if memory serves.”   
  


The Commander belted out thunderous laughter, grasping at her abdomen. Arcann couldn’t help but laugh along with her. His smile was bigger and wider than it had ever been, to Callahira’s knowledge. Following that, his cerulean eyes seemed to glisten.

 

The Sith decided to recount the tale as nonchalantly as possible, knowing Arcann would probably feel pity for her, which was something she  _ could not  _ stand.

 

“Well, where to begin? I was born. I was a slave. I had parents.”

 

Arcann had heard something about the Commander being born into slavery before succeeding her trials on Korriban. Still, he couldn’t picture it. And it made him furious to think of it.

 

“My father died when I was 12. My mother was a fracking...schutta...who then began to take all of her misery out on me. She let our master do whatever he wished. She let him brand me. He wanted to  _ ‘decorate’  _ his favorite slave,” Callahira felt she could no longer tell the story as casually as she had intended.

 

She had not thought about the days before the Sith Academy in what felt like several lifetimes. Once she was made an apprentice, she promised she would never look back and she would  _ never  _ be chained again. Arcann’s gut churned in disgust. Is  **that** the Empire his father built? Why would she take part in it? Care about it? Perhaps that is why she turned her back on it on Iokath.

 

“Well...there it is. I learned to embrace them early on. Many Sith actually scar themselves to appear more intimidating. I walk around pretending I did that as well and it does the trick; people think I’m some sort of evil...twisted sicko, who enjoys pain. Heh. Partly true.”

 

Arcann stared at the ground, not realizing he had stopped in his tracks. They were almost in sight of her starship, off on a plateau to the left, the durasteel bridge back to base not far in front of them.

 

“Arcann?”

 

“Hm?”

 

“Why have you stopped,” Callahira measured him up and down with her eyes. 

 

She then suddenly had a new appreciation for how...attractive he was: his body, his collarbones, how broad his shoulders were. She felt a slight tug at her gut when her mind instinctively was driven to imagine what he must look like nude.

 

“Oh. I don’t know...so what happened to that ‘master’?”

 

“What do you think happened,” she crooned with one brow raising in unison with the left corner of her lips.

 

“If it’s what I think, I’m glad.”

 

“You’re damn right! Sizzled him good!  _ That  _ caught the attention of the Sith who then shipped me off to Korriban. And the rest is history! The End,” she beamed at him to which she then nodded her head in the direction of the bridge as a sign for Arcann to keep following. 

 

He took a few, fast paced steps to catch up. As they arrived halfway across the bridge, the wind picked up, sweeping through the valley, and the two stopped to look out at the vista. The afternoon sun shone down on everything in sight, besides the wilds from which they had just emerged. They could almost see the horizon, following the valley’s path.

 

“Mind if we stop here,” Arcann asked his Commander, hesitantly.

 

“Not at all,” she smiled back. 

 

In truth, she also wanted to stop. The view was breathtaking and the sun warmed her chilled skin, with the breeze keeping her from getting too hot in her armor. Callahira sat down and let her legs hang off the side, holding onto the lower handrail that came up to her shoulders. She didn’t have a fear of heights per se, but she suddenly felt her sight wobble. Arcann joined her and folded his arms to rest on the rail, his chin laid on top.

 

Arcann broke the silence a few minutes later, “what became of your mother?”

 

Callahira felt as if something wrenched her heart a multiple times. An old, gnarled and bitter knot formed in her chest where it had always been.

 

“I...she died. Before. Before my...master. You know.”

 

“I see. I’m sorry to hear that.”

 

“I’m not,” Callahira spit out sharply, the sound of her voice now starkly contrasting it’s tone from not one moment ago.

 

Arcann looked to her. He remembered how much he wanted his father dead, by his own hand. He remembered feeling something similar about Senya. It was agonizing, the hatred. The anger like poison. The former Prince felt those old hates creeping up, but quickly suppressed them as he had been training himself to do. Callahira was gazing down out the valley, but the scowl on her face stayed put.

 

It was an old hate, an old betrayal, and an old wound, one that would never truly heal. She suddenly realized that Arcann might feel the same.

 

“Let’s just divorce our parents,” Callahira said, trying to be comical, but desperately wanting to cut herself off from the memory of that time.

 

“Can I keep Senya?”

 

The Sith puffed a bit of air out in a weak laugh.

 

“Of course.”

 

Arcann turned to her, always sitting or standing to her left to show his unmarred skin instead. He couldn’t stop staring at her now, his heart clenching and his stomach dancing.

 

“How did you do it?”

 

Callahira looked straight down, past her dangling feet. She wanted to tell him. She wanted him to hold her again like he had on her ship. She wanted to give in, but was she ready? Was he? Did she even know who he was? Who she herself was…what of Ther-  _ fark him _ .

 

“It’s...I was...you have to understand something.”

 

Arcann kept his gaze firmly locked on her face, scanning every inch of it.

 

“It’s a talent called Force Walking,” _ oh no, she was spilling the beans _ , “I can, uh, leave my body. So to speak.”

 

Arcann didn’t say a word. He needed to know.  _ Great Izax, she’s incredible. _

 

“It...I can walk in the Force, like spirits do,” she lowered her head further with a pained expression, hoping he didn’t think her an evil, freak, “it’s, um, rare. But...you feel completely uninhibited. You do things you wouldn’t normally do. Sometimes unwise?”

 

The Sith trailed off. On the one hand, she didn’t want for things to become  _ more  _ awkward and complicated between them, but on the other, she didn’t want to hurt his feelings.  _ How do I explain this?! _

 

“I could see. Everything. Their feelings, some of their thoughts. B-but! I don’t judge. I mean, I couldn’t...it’s...the Force is...it has...holds, truth. Son of a Hutt, I can’t explain this.”

 

Arcann’s heart was racing once again, his core being squeezed and felt as if it would pop at any moment. He drew his gaze off of her, his eyes scanning the depths below his feet, his mind trying to remain ordered.

 

“I’m sorry,” the words flowed out of her along with a languished sigh.

 

The former Emperor didn’t know what to say to that. He could now understand  _ how  _ it was possible for her to have been in the room in the Jedi Temple, but not what he  _ felt _ .

 

“That’s...amazing,” he tried to comment only on the ability itself.

 

“Yeah. Neat,” Callahira was starting to feel the embarrassment that soon followed their ‘kiss’ on Tython.

 

Just as Arcann thought to brush one of Callahira’s braids away from her neck and over her shoulder, he saw Senya out of the corner of his eye. She was standing in front of the durasteel doors to the base, for how long he couldn’t say.

 

“Well, it looks like I’ve been found.”

 

Callahira’s head flipped up and turned to him. She saw that he was looking to her right.  _ Ah, Senya. _

 

“Someone’s going to bed without any dessert!”

 

She stood up, dusted herself off, with Arcann following suit, his face lit with amusement.  
  
  



	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Callahira receives news from an old friend and colleague. Senya has an important discussion with Arcann. Callahira experiences something terrifying and truly otherworldly...and then some.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one is mos def longer than the other chapters. I wrote it all in one sitting and looked over it one (1) time, so it probably needs some more work. I got super carried away and yay steamy bits! It's really choppy, though. I forgot how to write I think! I'll probably find 50 grammatical errors when I go back :D

Not having any sleep other than the few hours spent in a brutal nightmare coupled with the news of her cousins and the walk with Arcann earlier, Callahira began to doze off where she sat, in full armor. Right where she was sitting happened to be in Dr. Oggurobb’s lab. She had been speaking with him about the incredible technology of the droid ‘gods’ that had risen on Iokath. He was still enthusiastically thinking aloud to her, something about their power cores. The Sith would nod every now and then, reassuring the Hutt that she was interested, but she could no longer keep her eyes open. Just as they were about to shut, a familiar and enthusiastic voice ripped them open.

 

“My Lord! Oh my Lord,” Talos Drellik called to his master from across the room in a singsong fashion, as he zipped towards her.

 

“My Lord, I think you’re going to be very happy to hear this!”

 

“Khem Val? Is it Khem Val,” Callahira voiced with urgency as she sat up straight.

 

Dr. Oggurobb was still talking to himself, not having noticed that  _ no one _ was listening.

 

“Ah, no, I’m afraid. I’m so sorry, my Lord.”

 

Callahira slumped back into her seat.

 

“I have just heard from one of my colleagues in the Imperial Reclamation Service,” he beamed excitedly,  _ always  _ having to unnecessarily state where he works, “and I have been informed of an untouched ruin on Ziost!”

 

“ _ Ziost _ ? Talos, I know it’s probably for the best that you have completed blocked that memory, but Ziost is a dead world now.”

 

“Oh yes! I remember quite vividly, but after such a cataclysm and the...uh, it no longer being inhabited, the Imperial Reclamation Service has had free range to explore the planet! Parts of the world that were inaccessible due to the flora and fauna are now wide open to us!”

 

“The fact that you are so eager to return to that planet is quite disturbing.”

 

“Oh, I am certainly not looking forward to it, my Lord, but the pursuit of knowledge cannot be stopped by any personal discomforts!”

 

The Sith sighed and delivered a defeated and sleepy smile.

 

“Talos, I’m afraid I’m going to have to sit this one out. I’m about to die from exhaustion.”

 

Dr. Oggurobb was now over at an operating table, dissecting a broken keeper droid from Iokath.

 

“My Lord, I would never suggest that you sacrifice your health! I want you to be one hundred percent! It will be a pleasure to uncover these mysteries at your side once again! It would have, of course, been a great pleasure to have explored Tython with you-”

 

“I knew you were going to hold that over me…”

 

“My Lord, I would never!”

 

Callahira’s smile widened and she shook her head in amusement.

 

“You do realize that I’m no longer welcome in Imperial space?”

 

“That won’t matter at all, my Lord! The only people present on Ziost are the Imperial Reclamation Service and the Imperial Science Bureau who are...testing and cataloguing any...organic remains.”

 

The Sith scowled in disgust at the memory of it all.

 

“Still?”

 

“Yes, my Lord. There were...a lot of people and things on Ziost.”

 

Both of their expressions slumped in unison. Ziost was one of the most horrific and heartbreaking events either of the two had ever witnessed. The thought of it still sent a cold chill up Callahira’s spine. She brushed the thought aside and continued on.

 

“And what of the Imperials on the Citadel station who will have us present identification?”

 

Talos brought his hand to his chin. He hadn’t thought of that one.

 

“Perhaps a disguise, my Lord?”

 

“And what about the  _ identification  _ that is required?”

 

“I’m sure Miss Beniko can figure something out.”

 

Callahira exhaled with a laugh as she lowered her head.

 

“Alright, Talos. If Lana can figure that out, I’ll go with you, but I need to get some sleep and take care of some other business. Can we wait a few days?”

 

Talos’ face expressed utter disappointment. The Sith couldn't bear it.  _ He’s so good at that. _

 

“How about tomorrow then? That is, if nothing critical comes up. I really do have some important things that cannot wait to act on.”

 

“Tomorrow it is,” the man cheered as he brought his fist up in victory.

 

“ _ If _ nothing comes up!”

  
Talos was already almost out of the room and was too excited to hear his master. The Commander rose to her feet, took one glance at Dr. Oggurobb, who was no longer aware of anything other than his specimen, and left. She decided that ample amounts of caf should get her through the remaining hours of sunlight and then she would go to bed early.

  
  


******************

  
  


Arcann took the hydrospanner from the desk in his closet-sized quarters and began to fix a wire in his cybernetic arm that had frayed, which was not unusual given the amount of combat the Alliance had seen on Iokath recently. Arcann had never believed in the Zakuulan Pantheon nor had he been interested in things such as theology and mythology, but it was still odd to be in a battle against Tyth. He found it unsettling that his people, or people in general, could be so easily manipulated by a superior species at a fundamental level. The thought of that made him angry. His own father too had manipulated his people - for three centuries, and the Sith Empire - for over one thousand years. Disgust twisted with that anger when Valkorion entered the train of thought.

 

Senya knocked softly on his door and for a split second, Arcann thought it might be his Commander which made his heart race. He felt foolish for that, like a pre-adolescent boy.

 

“Arcann?”

 

“Come on in.”

 

“Hi there, sweetheart. Need any help?”

 

The former Prince grimaced as he let a breath hiss out through his teeth.

 

“What?”

 

“I really hate when you call me things like that.”

 

“I’m sorry,  _ darling _ . Won’t happen again,” Senya said with a smirk as she walked over to the desk chair, and sat down.

 

“I’d like to speak with you about something,” his mother continued.

 

“Oh?”

 

“Yes. Now, this is going to be awkward, but as your mother it’s my job to talk to you about these things.”

 

Arcann looked up with a flash of panic on his face.

 

“Mother...I already know where babies come from.”

 

Senya chuckled as she brought her head down.

 

“Good to hear! I really didn’t want to be the one to explain it. I would’ve just referred you to the holonet.”

 

“There’s a lot on the subject there, that’s true.”

 

“What I need to talk to you about is...the Commander.”

 

Arcann felt his stomach start to burn and chest squeeze. _ Not this. Anything but this. _

 

“Perhaps another time, Senya. I’m very busy and I’d also prefer to never talk to you about...anything,” he couldn’t help but laugh at himself.

 

“Arcann, I’m serious. This isn’t a joke and I need you to hear it no matter how much you don’t want to. Now put that thing down and look at me.”

 

Arcann closed his eyes for a few moments to brace himself and put the hydrospanner back on his desk next to Senya.

 

“Mother, I don’t know what you think you know, but there’s nothing to talk about.”

 

“That statement alone confirms that you know what I’m referring to which means there’s some truth to it! You know what I’m implying! And I’m a bit insulted that you think I wouldn’t be able to see it.”

 

“Mother, please…”

 

“Shush. I just need to say this. I know that you, we, owe the Commander a lot. I know she is beautiful and I  _ know  _ that you think so too.”

 

“Senya, please stop,” Arcann was becoming mortified and felt like a child.

 

“Scyva’s tears, Arcann, it’s nothing to be ashamed of. The only thing I’m worried about is...She’s an amazing woman and I have no problem with her, but she  _ is  _ a Sith.”

 

The former Emperor looked up at his mother sadly. He knew what she was going to say and it pained him because he had the same worries himself.

 

“She uses the dark side. I know we have another understanding of the Force, but she was brought up in such a way that...Sith use their worst emotions for power: anger, hatred, and all the emotions that you are trying to leave behind. She doesn’t shy away from being...well, cruel. Or meddling with very dangerous things. Things that could hurt you.”

 

Arcann looked down to his feet, trying to hide how much it gutted him to think that he couldn’t have her because of this. That he may never be able to control his own darkness enough to face it.

 

“I know it’s disappointing, but you have to think about your own wellbeing. You have to put your recovery above everything else or...I don’t want to lose you again,” Senya said as she reached her hand out to hold his.

 

The former conqueror couldn’t speak. She was right and he knew it. How could he ever reconcile this? But what good does hiding from all that  _ might  _ corrupt you do? Or is it the blind passion that would make it impossible to recognize when one is falling back into darkness? Arcann kept his head down and shut his eyes.

 

“That’s all I needed to say. I’m here for you now, Arcann. I always will be. You’ll figure this out, I know that you can.”

 

Senya stood up and placed her hand on her son’s shoulder as she bent down to kiss his the top of his head.

 

“It’s going to be alright,” she smiled to him, but he didn’t see, “I’ll leave you be...but I’m here.”

 

The former Knight of Zakuul left his quarters silently and shut the door behind her, feeling pained about hurting her son so.

 

Arcann looked to his clock which glowed and flickered “9:27” and he figured he might as well retire now seeing as he got so little sleep that morning. The next morning, he could make sure he fixed his prosthetic properly, seeing it clearly in front of him instead of reaching over with his other arm. He undid his belt to begin taking off his top. His shoulder was sore, the metal of his prosthetic squeezing his upper arm and weighing down on him. It had been more than a week since he removed it as it was waterproof and not always uncomfortable, but he was due.

 

He went to pull his top over his head, but it was suddenly caught on something and wouldn’t budge. He reached his right arm over his left shoulder, but still couldn’t find where it was snagged. The former Prince grunted loudly in frustration. He stood in front of a small mirror, his back turned towards it, and saw he couldn’t reach it. His shirt seemed to be stuck under the plating that encased his shoulder. Using the Force didn’t pull it free either. He groaned louder and resigned himself to catch up with Senya and get her help. 

 

Arcann figured she had gone back to her room, and if she hadn’t, he would wait for her. Their quarters weren’t far from each other and he hoped nobody would see him. He closed his eyes and concentrated. People were in rooms next to him and down the hall. He slid his door open slowly and peeked out to see an empty corridor. He stepped over the threshold, still turning his gaze left and right, and then darted towards Senya’s room, his shirt still caught on his prosthetic.

 

Callahira was dragging herself back to her quarters with eyes half shut, finally free of obligations that arose during the day, to go to sleep, but suddenly felt Arcann’s anxiety and frustration. Curious, she turned down another passage, towards the crew quarters. Just as she came about another turn, she saw Arcann running towards her. He stopped in his tracks, gasped, and nearly fell forward. He was entirely displeased to see her and was getting sick of the irony of her timing. Or the Force’s. Or whomever’s.

 

The Commander stared straight ahead with eyes wide with disbelief, not expecting  _ this _ . She looked him up and down and to her surprise saw that his burn scars spread down his abdomen and over his left pectoral. He was still beautiful, she thought. Beautiful and incredibly attractive, his body in excellent shape. She then noticed that a part of his white ensemble was hanging from his back.

 

“Oh dear, having trouble?”

 

“No no. No, I’m fine. Just need to get to…”

 

“Need help,” Callahira asked sincerely as she continued towards him.

 

“No! I’m fine. Please.” 

 

Arcann was absolutely mortified and the Commander could tell. She truly had no problem with any of this, quite the opposite in fact as she was finally able to see his bare chest. The Sith wanted him to know that she didn’t judge his appearance or care in the least about injuries and scars.

 

“Will you stop being so damn stubborn?! Just stay still,” Callahira demanded as she walked behind him.

 

He was panting and felt a level of embarrassment that would’ve made a younger version of himself burst into tears. Arcann shut his eyes, as if she was about to rip off a bandage, and allowed her to set his shirt free. Callahira saw that his shirt was not just stuck under the shoulder plate, but also snagged on a screw that must’ve loosened from all the wear and tear.

 

“There. Done,” the Sith said as casually as she could, “by the way, there’s a screw or something that needs to be tightened back there. Your shirt was caught on that too.”

 

“Oh. I...thank you.”

 

Arcann relaxed a bit, but didn’t turn around. He couldn’t think and he felt exposed and vulnerable. Callahira’s eyes scanned his back, which she was also very pleased to see, his muscles just as lovely back there, and that his scars wrapped around as well. A few moments passed and the half dressed man still didn’t turn.

 

“Arcann, do you really think I care about your scars and your arm,” she spoke to his back, “...as in, do you think I would be repulsed to see them? Do you feel that way when you look at my face?”

 

Arcann whipped around to look at her, “no! Of course not!”

 

“Oh, so then you’re just a prude,” Callahira replied with a flirtatious grin.

 

“What?!”

 

“You heard me. Well, there you have it. I’m going to bed before I pass out here in the hall...unless, did you need help removing that,” the Sith asked and immediately regretted adding the offer, not wanting to embarrass him further.

 

“No! I mean...no, thank you.”

 

“Alright then. Have fun,” she retorted nonchalantly as she strolled passed him, back the way she came.

 

Arcann brought his shirt up in front of him to cover himself somewhat, “why were you going this way?”

 

The Commander stopped and quickly tried to think of an excuse. She was always good at that.

 

“I’ve been about to die from exhaustion all day and I can barely keep my eyes open! I took a wrong turn. Sorry! Sheesh,” she quickly whipped her head around to add, “wait! Why am I apologizing? This is my damn base and I’m the Commander!”

 

And with that, she strut away from him with a wide smirk. Arcann could only watch her leave. He stood in the hall, for how long, he couldn’t say, and finally regained enough composure to head back to his quarters for the night.

  
  


***************

  
  


Callahira found herself in the middle of a vast, beautiful meadow, the sun shining down on her. The sky was clear, the wind was gentle, and it seemed to be the perfect temperature outside.  _ How did I get here? Where is...here?  _ She turned around, searching in every direction, and she couldn’t see anything other than the meadow. She picked a direction and decided to walk. Just then, a little boy ran right past her and she jumped back with a yelp. 

 

“Wait! Wait for me,” the boy was shouting at something, someone, in front of him.

 

She turned and started to give chase after him.

 

“Wait for me, you wimp!”

 

The little boy was laughing and waving a stick around in the air. She finally caught up to him as he grabbed ahold of another little boy. They clashed their sticks together a few times, shouting happily, and then fell to the ground beside each other. Callahira tentatively walked closer to them and saw that they were both laughing and smiling and...identical. One in white clothes and one in black. Her brow furrowed, becoming extremely concerned as she realized who she was looking at.  _ How is this possible? What is happening?! _

 

The little boy in white suddenly noticed her and stood up, his face too was showing concern, “Commander?”

 

“...Arcann?”

 

Suddenly, it felt as if the world had been ripped away underneath her and she nearly collapsed. Callahira now found herself standing in the Spire, Zakuul’s throne room. She whipped her head all around when she realized it. Her eyes spotted a figure. A man was standing with his back turned to her, throne in front of him.

 

“No! No, I don’t want to be here! Make it stop,” Callahira was screaming at the top of her lungs, but the man didn’t turn.

 

She began to back up and turned around to run out of the room, but stopped short as there were two men kneeling in front of her; one in white and one in black.

 

“Arcann!? Arcann, make it go away! Make  **him** go away!”

 

The Prince was wearing his mask and looked like he was going to kill someone, but his face immediately changed as she came into view. It was as if he was just noticing her presence.

 

“Callahira? How are you here? What’s happening,” Arcann put his hand to his face at the sound of his muffled voice and seemed surprised that he was wearing a mask.

 

The former Prince walked towards her, increasingly aware that this was not real.

 

“I don’t know, but you need to make it stop! I’m...I’m…make him go away,  _ please _ ,” the Commander screeched through tears that began to fall.

 

Arcann looked over her shoulder and saw Valkorion, back still turned to them. He then remembered exactly where and when he was. In the next few moments, he was going to charge at his father, ready to kill him and then...Thexan.

 

“I don’t know how to stop this,” Arcann grabbed both of Callahira’s arms, he himself now panicking.

 

“I think...you have to wake up, Arcann! I think you’re dreaming!  _ Wake up! Before  _ **_he_ ** _ sees us _ ,” she screamed, the terror building within her.

 

She had never felt so scared in her entire life. To be trapped here, in another dream with the Sith Emperor. A dream she could not control. Or was it really him? Anything could happen and she had no idea what Arcann might think up, knowing how horrific many of his memories might be. She then saw that Thexan was rising to his feet. The brother drew his lightsaber, his face glowering.  _ What is he doing? Is he going to attack Valkorion?  _

 

Arcann heard his brother’s lightsaber activate and suddenly remembered his recurring dream, a dream that they seemed to be in...and what happens next. Valkorion appeared right behind Callahira, staring at Arcann with completely blackened eyes. Arcann grabbed her and clung to her just as Thexan plunged his lightsaber into his brother’s back and through Callahira as well. She shrieked in agony.

 

“ _ It’s all your fault,  _ **_brother_ ** _. _ ”

  
  


*****************

  
  


Callahira jolted upright in her bed, clinging to the place on her chest where she had just been stabbed. She immediately began choking on sobs. The Sith jumped out of bed and darted out of her room towards Arcann’s. Tears were readily streaming down her face and she could barely breathe or see where she was going. She didn’t know if anyone had seen her running in her nightgown, weeping, but she didn’t care if they did. Callahira stopped at Arcann’s door and tried to open it, but it was locked. She began banging on it in a panic.

 

“Arcann! Arcann, let me in,” she spoke in sobs.

 

The former Emperor opened the door immediately and before he could react, Callahira grabbed ahold of him violently, wrapping her arms around his torso as she sobbed uncontrollably into his bare chest. Arcann went to put his arms around her, but realized he had taken off his prosthetic so he resigned to holding her with only one arm. He didn’t even care about anyone seeing his stub at this point.

 

Arcann shut his door, Callahira not letting go, and brought her over to his bed where he sat the both of them down. She then wrapped her arms around his neck and continued to wail. He wanted more than anything to calm her down, but he was also highly disturbed.

 

“You really were there, weren’t you?”

 

“ _ I’m sorry! I don’t know how that happened! That’s never happened to me! I’m so sorry _ ,” Callahira shrieked into his neck.

 

She was hysterical at this point and nothing could calm her down. Arcann let her cry as he stroked her back with his right hand. He wasn’t nearly as upset as she was for he had been in that dream multiple times. Although it always terrified him, it was  _ his  _ dream and far more familiar to him than the Commander.

 

Arcann gained enough composure to finally realize the situation of what was happening. Here was the Commander in a short, black, silky, negligee and he was shirtless and armless...holding her. That same burning sensation ignited in his chest, as it continued to have a habit of doing, and he couldn’t control it in this moment. He took hold her left arm and pulled it away from his neck so that she would draw back and be face to face with him. Her eyes were red and puffy and her face was soaking wet. He placed his hand on the back of her neck and drew her into a kiss.

 

Callahira tried to catch her breath, but he was holding her so tightly. She then placed both of her hands on Arcann’s face and rearranged herself, placing her right leg over his left. He felt himself getting hard and the memory of the dream and all the horrors of the past washed away from his mind. As their lips drew apart, she opened her mouth to move it and sucked on his lower lip. He instinctively tried to grab her waist, but he realized again that he was without his prosthetic. That broke the illusion for him and he pulled back, leaving Callahira confused.

 

“I...I’m sorry. I don’t know what came over me, Commander.”

 

“What?!”

 

Arcann looked at her with a pained expression. He wanted her terribly, but not here, not like this. What had happened in his dream was too much. This was all too much.

 

“I don’t know what happened...how that happened, but I didn’t do it on purpose! I swear! You have to believe me, I didn’t do it! _ I would never do that _ ,” Callahira plead, crying again.

 

She wouldn’t let go of him and the former Prince sighed heavily.

 

“Maybe Sana-Rae can help you figure that out, but-”

 

“No! Please don’t leave me! Please don’t make me leave,” she belted out and started bawling again.

 

Callahira had no idea what had come over her, but she was beyond terrified. Arcann let her embrace him again. He couldn’t resist trying to comfort her. He could give her that much. He wanted to. They sat there for a few minutes, the Sith’s sobs becoming less violent. Arcann began to brush through her hair with his fingers.

 

“It wasn’t real, was it? That wasn’t...really him, right? He’s gone, right,” she begged, speaking into his shoulder.

 

“It wasn’t real. He’s gone. Valkorion is gone forever.”

 

Arcann’s voice rattled in his chest and his throat and Callahira could feel it vibrate on her face. She wanted to stay there forever, hearing and feeling him speak softly.

 

“I believe you,” she whispered and slowly closed her eyes as she shuffled around to get a better hold on him.

 

Arcann lowered his head next to hers and inhaled the scent of her hair. It was intoxicating. He too then shut his eyes as they sat there, the two of them calming down. The Sith’s crying had neared its end and she only inhaled sharply every now and then to recover. She loosened her grip on Arcann, her right hand brought over to wipe her tears. As she sniffled, she noticed that he had tracks of tears on his face. She took the back of her hand and retraced them, drying his cheek. He shuddered, being so touch starved and having wanted her to caress him for quite some time.

 

Callahira dried the rest of her face with her left hand, brought both palms together in her lap, looking down at them.

 

“Is...was that dream true?”

 

“How do you mean?”

 

“Is that what really happened? Did your brother...attack you?”

 

Arcann sighed deeply, his breath catching on the pain in his heart, “no. That isn’t how it happened, but...but that’s when...that’s when I...that was the moment I attacked Valkorion. Thexan stopped me and...I killed him.”

 

The former Emperor choked on that last phrase and covered his mouth to keep the grief inside. Callahira couldn’t stand to upset him further. She quickly said something else, anything else.

 

“What about the first one? When you were little?”

 

This was all so overwhelming for Arcann, he could barely put two thoughts together. Nothing seemed clear, only the sight of her.

 

“That happened. Although, you weren’t there. Unless you can time travel as well,” he delivered with a weak smile.

 

“I really hope I can’t. But maybe if I could...hmm, what would I do?”

 

“Kill Valkorion as a child? Or Tenebrae or whatever it was.  _ Whoever  _ he was.”

 

Callahira couldn’t help but smile. She then remembered that Vitiate’s father, Lord Dramath, had mentioned something about drowning him as an infant. That  _ should’ve  _ disturbed her, but it pertained to the worst abomination of all time and so she agreed with the notion.

 

“I’d do it just for you. And me. And millions of others. But mostly you,” she said with a smile she was straining to keep.

 

“Callahira, I…,” Arcann trailed off.

 

“You know, that’s the first time you’ve called me by my name?”

 

“What?”

 

“You’ve never called me ‘Callahira’. You’ve always referred to me as Commander or Outlander or...Father,” she snorted at that, she couldn’t help it.

 

Arcann’s face was very serious for a few moments, but it was such an off colored joke, he cracked a guilty smile.

 

“I never referred to  _ you  _ as father...I was speaking to Valkorion. Who was...also there.”

 

The Sith’s smile dimmed at the thought of being possessed by that fiend. He was the worst Sith, the worst  _ thing _ , she had ever heard of. And he had been in her head. What if he had won?

 

“Hey,” Arcann said as he lifted her head with his hand under her chin, “he’s  **gone** . Forever.”

 

Just then, there was a knock on his door. Both of their heads whipped over to look, both of their faces painted with panic.

 

“Uh, is everything all right in there,” a former Republic soldier asked through the closed door, blaster in hand.

 

Callahira’s eyes shot over to look at Arcann. She had the look of a child who got caught with her hand in the cookie jar. He smiled back at her and squeezed his eyes shut, absolutely mortified.

 

“Everything’s fine,” the former Prince was trying not to laugh.

 

“Yeah. It’s just that, uh, the Commander apparently came this way. And, uh, we can’t find her. And...she was like...upset? And then people heard some, um, shouting? Or something. So, uh, do you mind if I take a look in your room?”

 

Callahira was trying so hard to keep her laughter quiet. She mouthed, “let me handle this,” to which Arcann started pleading quietly, “no no no!”

 

The Commander flung the door open and Arcann instinctively tried to cover his naked torso with his arm.

 

“Hello! I am here! I was walking down the hall and I broke my ankle right outside Arcann’s door. I screamed and cried! He ran out and brought me in here. It was a horrible mess. Blood everywhere. My tendons were falling out. Then he fixed me up with the Force! As you can see, I’m fine now. That will be all. Dismissed!”

 

The soldier’s eyes were as wide as they could possibly get, as if he was witnessing a Hutt giving birth. Callahira was standing there in her short, black nightdress and Arcann was sitting on the bed without a shirt and without his cybernetic arm. There was also no blood and the Commander’s  ankle was  _ not  _ injured. The Republic soldier back away slowly, nodding, knocked into the opposite wall, and scurried back to the war room.

 

The Sith looked back at Arcann with the most satisfied and mischievous grin she could conjure. He looked as if he too was watching the birth of a Hutt.

 

“Problem solved!”

 

Callahira slid the bedroom door shut and turned back to the poor, former Prince, but this time she wasn’t smiling.

 

“Arcann?”

 

“Yes?”

 

“Please don’t...don’t shy away from me because of this. Because of...what happened earlier. The dream, this,” she gestured to herself and then to him.

 

He threw his head back as he took in a very deep gulp of air and stood up. He walked to her, as she eyed him up and down, and took her hand in his.

 

“I need to...I need to work through this, but...but I won’t. I promise.”

 

“That’s enough for me,” Callahira beamed lovingly at him.

 

She then glanced over at his missing arm that she hadn’t fully noticed before. Her eyes traced where his arm had been removed, then his chest, then his abdomen, and back up to his eyes. He seemed embarrassed, having followed her gaze across his body. She grabbed his hand tighter and pulled him closer to her, followed by a gentle kiss on his right cheek. The Commander stepped back to see him smiling that half smile of his. She let go of his hand and opened his door to leave.

 

“I’ll talk to Sana-Rae about this. I’ll figure it out. And make sure it never happens again,” she turned back to look at him, “you two were awfully cute, though. It was...nice to see.”

 

Callahira smiled brightly and sincerely at him to which she stepped out of his quarters and made her way down the corridor back to her room. Arcann walked to the door to slide it shut, but not before he peeked out to watch her leave...and to see if anyone else was there. The Commander passed by two guards who were chatting, probably about what the one had just witnessed, waved at them, and continued on proudly. Only  _ she  _ could be in a skimpy thing like that negligee and walk by fully clothed strangers with full confidence. Arcann shook his head, quietly chuckling, and retreated back into his room. He laid down on his bed facing the ceiling and covered his eyes with his hand, sighing.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Callahira asks for a favor from Torian. She receives highly disturbing news from Sana-Rae. Talos gets disappointed :(  
> Arcann and the Commander get much closer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: this chapter is NSFW
> 
> Soooooooo WOW, this chapter kicked my ass. So yeah, I tried my best. That's a lie, I could've spent more time on it, but the hooooo boy got me rekt! I *think* I got all of the grammatical mistakes (yeah, I didn't....going back through it now), but you should know by now that I rush through everything xD

A few restless hours later, the Commander dressed herself for the new day. Against preconception, she wasn’t the least bit embarrassed or concerned with the intimacy she and Arcann had achieved in the middle of the night. In fact, she couldn’t wait to see him and hopefully experience it again. The Sith saw that little boy running through her mind and her face lit with contentment. He was a beautiful child and she wished she could’ve reached down to stroke his hair and look at his face a while longer. Suddenly, she was reminded of the rest of the dream. Callahira squeezed her eyes shut as a knot began to form in her chest, feeling as it wrapped around her heart in a vice. Not only had the Emperor been there, but Thexan had stabbed his brother in retribution. ‘ _ It’s all your fault, brother _ ’ echoed in her mind. Arcann had been through so much, made so many mistakes. Callahira couldn’t imagine killing Aleama or Elassa in a blind rage. She couldn’t bare to think of doing so to Ashara either. If she felt this much sadness at the mere thought of it, how much pain must Arcann be in on a daily basis? Not only had he killed his own brother, he had killed his sister too. With  _ her  _ help. The Sith then thought of Senya. The woman had lost two of her children. Lost them to Vitiate’s influence. Callahira shot her eyes open when she began to think of Baron, Aleama’s son, dying. She shook her head forcefully a few times, making sure the thoughts were rid from her mind, and gathered herself to leave.

  
  


As Callahira entered the war room, she saw Lana having a heated argument with a woman who appeared to be a privateer or something of that nature.

 

“You mean to tell me you and your friends had  _ nothing  _ to do with this,” Lana hissed at the Zabrak.

 

“Hey, lady, it’s not like we’re an organization! I don’t know every damn spacer in the galaxy!”

 

“ _ Lady _ ?  **_Lady_ ** ?”

 

“Whoa whoa whoa! Cool your jets, la...Beniko.”

 

Callahira scanned the room, looking for Arcann. He wasn’t there nor was Senya. The Sith shuffled towards the argument with a lazy grin.

 

“Commander! Commander this is urgent,” Lana shouted as she quickened towards her.

 

“It always is.”

 

“There have been pirate raids near Dromund Fels!  _ Dromund Fels _ .”

 

“Which I had nothing to do with,” the Zabrak shouted at Lana’s back.

 

“Oh...yes, forgot to mention that. That was fast,” Callahira spoke under her breath.

 

“ _ What _ ?”

 

“Uh, yes. Perhaps we should go somewhere private, Lana.”

 

“Yeah! Talk some sense into her, Commander,” the privateer hollered which made Lana spin around and shoot the woman a look that could terrify the Sith Emperor.

 

“Lana, come on. Sorry about the confusion, miss.”

 

“You’re apologizing? To  _ her _ ?!”

 

Callahira grabbed her intelligence officer’s arm and pulled her in the direction of her quarters down the hall.

 

“I’m telling you, Commander, we need to be strict with those smugglers! They’re not professional and they need to understand that the Alliance is not some easy payday! And what do you mean ‘ _ that was fast _ ’,” Lana spouted as they entered the room.

 

Callahira slid the door to her quarters shut and turned around.

 

“Right, so. I may have had an old friend...I told Andronikus to leak information to his pirate...associates, and anyone else who reads those holochannels, that there were some...profitable things being shipped to and from the planet. I can’t believe how fast he got that out. And how fast the response was! I just spoke to him yesterday! I’m impressed. Good boy!”

 

Lana was entirely unamused and her face expressed that perfectly.

 

“What? I thought it would create a nice distraction and also quite a pain in the ass for whomever is watching my family!”

 

Lana stood silently and shut her eyes to calm the headache she had acquired from the ordeal.

 

“Sorry I didn’t tell you, but how was I supposed to know raids would start in  _ hours _ ? I was going to tell you after I got some sleep,” the Dark Lord was deflecting any and all blame, “Look, they have no ties to the Alliance other than Andronikus and he didn’t name himself nor join in on the raiding. And...this is my family, we’re talking about! Why are you mad at me?!”

 

“I’m not mad at you, exactly...but I am trying to protect them in the best way I know how. And _pirates_ is not something I would have added to the formula. ”

 

“You’re not mad at me?”

 

“Missing the point!”    
  
“But you’re not angry,” Callahira asked again with a sly smirk.

 

“Now I’m angry!”

 

The Commander laughed with as much energy as she could afford, which was not much. Lana brought her hand over her face, massaging her forehead, and took a deep breath. Probably to keep an aneurysm from bursting.

 

“Commander...my agent was in a panic. He thought the pirates had something to...you know what? Doesn’t matter. Let me go inform him.”

 

“I’m sorry, Lana,” Callahira said in a baby voice as she smiled meekly, eyes wide like a kicked puppy.

 

Lana groaned in disgust to which the Commander  _ had  _ to laugh.

 

“Oh, Torian’s back. Also, Talos wanted to speak with you. And Sana-Rae. And Ashara.”

 

“Wow.”

 

“Such is the burden of command,  _ Commander _ ,” Lana spouted, intentionally full of spite.

 

“Thank you, Lana. I’ll see to it. Uh...have you seen Arcann?”

 

Lana’s left brow slowly stretched up and almost seemed to touch her hairline. Callahira remained composed, her face completely blank.

 

“Huh, funny you should ask. I could’ve sworn it was just another tall tale concocted by bored soldiers, but...I heard that you were taking a stroll around the base in the middle of the night, in your underwear,” Lana recounted as Callahira strained to keep her face blank, “and something about you bleeding all over a nude Arcann. In his room?”

 

Lana grinned widely and wickedly.  _ She got her. _

 

“Well, that’s the funniest story I’ve heard in years! I should start my own rumors to keep the troops entertained. Hmm...how about, ‘I heard Lana was drunk out her mind, with a wedgie so far up her ass and as she bent down to pick up her datapad, she fell flat on her face’!”

 

“You **wouldn’t** ,” Lana’s cheeks flashed red at the memory of it, that story being completely true.

 

“Maybe. Maybe not. It all depends,” Callahira spoke with the same grin she had received moments ago.

 

Lana huffed, shooting her arms straight down at her side, and marched out of the Commander’s quarters. Callahira could hardly contain her laughter, but made sure it wasn’t audible until Lana was out of earshot.

 

The Sith gave herself a few moments to get her giggles out and reached over to grab her holocom. She entered in the four digit code for the particular Alliance member she wished to contact. After a few rings, a small Torian hovered in the palm of her hand.

 

“Hey, Commander! Heard you wanted to ask me about something.”

 

“Hello, Torian. Yes, I did. Where are you?”

 

“I’m topside in the cantina.”

 

“Great! I’ll meet you there?”

 

“Sure thing, Commander.”

 

Torian’s visage blinked out and Callahira stepped out of her quarters with purpose.

  
  


*****************

  
  


The breakfast rush had thinned out and the Sith spotted the young Mandalorian at the bar. Torian met her eyes and waved her over.

 

“Hey there.”

 

“Isn’t it a bit early to be drinking, Torian,” she quipped, looking at the bartenderless bar.

 

“Hah! Yeah, but it’s the weekend!”

 

Torian sat down on a barstool and the Sith followed suit. The few people in the cantina were all involved in their own conversations and the jukebox was singing, albeit quieter than in the evening.

 

“So, what’s on your mind?”

 

“Did Lana tell you anything?”

 

“Nope. Just that you wanted to ask me something,” Torian spoke as he raised a glass of bantha milk to his lips.

 

“Torian, this is strictly confidential. I’m going to trust you with information that is...very dear to me.”

 

The Mandalorian set his drink down, brows arched upwards. He wiped his mouth with his sleeve and gave her his full attention.

 

“You can trust me, Commander.”

 

“I know I can, Torian. That’s why I’m going to tell you,” Callahira dropped her head to look at her lap, worry painting across her features.

 

The young man looked around the room, scanning to see if anyone could overhear. It seemed safe.

 

“I have a family. Distant cousins, but still. I have reason to believe that they may be in danger because of me. Lana can tell you all of the details, but they live on Dromund Fels,” she whispered, “Lana has an agent there, but I don’t think that’s going to be enough.”

 

“Do you know who it might be,” Torian spoke up, immediately feeling it was his duty to protect the Commander’s interests.

 

“I’m not sure. No one is. This all started when my cousin made contact with Ashara, my apprentice. She was worried she was being watched, but now it seems she was right,” Callahira’s heart sank.

 

When she said it aloud it seemed more real. More terrifying. She looked up at Torian for reassurance.  _ He can help. He can protect them. _

 

“What do you need me to do,” Torian spoke with confidence.

 

“Lana and I had a thought that perhaps you could send some trusted friends to the planet, perhaps looking for work. But the true goal would be to keep an eye on my family. They would be compensated, of course.”

 

“Hey, you don’t need to worry about that. If this is something you need, it’s done.”

 

“But you can’t go and-”

 

“Don’t want any connections back to the Alliance, got it.”

 

Torian had already pulled out a datapad he kept in his toolbelt and was flipping through it. He then realized the Sith was still sitting there and looked up to see her worried expression.

 

“I know exactly who I can trust with this, Commander. I’ve known them for years and we’re basically kin. They would never break an oath and neither would I. Even better, they’ve been working out of Dromund Kaas for the past few years. They can get to Fels, no problem.”

 

Just then, Callahira felt a tug on her heart and her stomach. A familiar presence, one that had begun to fill her with fire every time she sensed it. Torian cocked his head to look behind the Commander and saw Arcann, who had stopped in the threshold of the cantina upon seeing the two.

 

“I’ll go get the rest of this figured out with Lana. Don’t you worry, Commander,” Torian said with a comforting smile as he stood up.

 

Torian passed Arcann with a nod and headed to the turbolift that would take him down to the war room. Callahira didn’t turn around and chose to stay staring at her lap. Her heart was now racing and the flare had reached down between her legs. She felt Arcann’s presence moving towards her and she smiled, the fire burning hotter. She shut her eyes, embracing the experience, breathing into it.

 

“Callahira,” Arcann questioned as he appeared in front of her.

 

“So it’s ‘Callahira’ now, eh,” she replied as she opened her eyes and shot him a flirtatious grin, one eyebrow raising.

 

Arcann audibly exhaled, trying to relieve the tension and awkwardness from within himself. He got right down to business.

 

“Sana-Rae wishes to speak with you...and me.”

 

_ Blood of the Sith! How did that woman know everything? She couldn’t possibly have visions every hour of the day! _

 

Callahira’s lightened mood fell instantaneously as she rose to her feet. She looked Arcann in the eye, his face twisted with embarrassment. She wanted to grab him, kiss him, touch him anywhere. She resisted, which took much effort, and began to make her way down the base, Arcann in lockstep.

 

They stepped off the turbolift and made their way further into the war room.

 

“ _ My Lord _ ,” Talos shouted which made some soldiers and Lana jolt.

 

“My Lord! Miss Tora managed to slice together a rather convincing identification card,” Talos sprinted towards the Commander.

 

“Talos-”

 

“Everything’s set! Oh, are you busy? I’ll begin gathering my equipment. Let me know when you’re ready! Or I’ll come find you when I’m ready,” he sang out and immediately ran off to the crew quarters.

 

Callahira couldn’t help but smile and giggle. Talos was constantly bright, bubbly, and enthusiastic which always managed to lift her mood no matter what was going on.  _ He’s so good at that. _

 

“Right. We better make this quick. I wouldn’t want to disappoint Talos. I couldn’t bear to see him cry,” the Sith directed at Arcann, whose expression was amused by the abrupt absurdness of the lithe archaeologist.

 

Sana-Rae was patiently waiting in her usual spot, at the back of the Force Enclave, where she greeted those she was expecting. The Enclave was empty, which was very unusual. Callahira walked towards her with confidence, but Arcann’s steps were slow, his head lowered, concerned with what was probably to be a most uncomfortable conversation. The Mystic was always so blunt and spoke the truth, no matter how much it unnerved the subject of her visions.

 

“Greetings, Commander. Arcann,” she gently voiced as she always did, “please, come sit.”

 

The Voss gestured to the pillows by the small pond and the three lowered themselves. Arcann still couldn’t look up to meet either of the women’s eyes.

 

“We must discuss what you experienced last night.”

 

“ _ Must _ we,” Callahira questioned sarcastically.

 

Sana-Rae continued, seemingly ignoring the Commander, “I believe your Force Walking abilities coupled with powers Valkorion granted you, the full extent of which I believe are still unknown, are what allowed you to walk in dreams not of your own.”

 

Callahira sighed heavily, bracing herself to relive the unpleasant experience.

 

“It is concerning. Did you do it purposefully, Commander?”

 

“No! Absolutely not! I was as surprised as he was!”

 

Sana-Rae lowered her head in concentration and Arcann was becoming increasingly distressed.

 

“I imagine this will not be easy to hear. Although I am not certain, I believe you physically entered Arcann’s mind,” Sana-Rae’s voice was a bit different this time, her expression troubled.

 

“What do you mean,” Arcann finally joined in.

 

“I believe, through the ability of Force Walking, you...possessed Arcann.”

 

Callahira jerked her entire body, her face showing her absolute horror.  _ She possessed someone? Like Vitiate? _

 

“ **No** ! That’s impossible. That’s completely ridiculous, Sana-Rae, and I won’t hear another word of it!”

 

The Sith was in a full state of panic, her heart thumping through her chest and up her throat, into her head.  _ I’m not evil! I am not him! I will never become him! I’d sooner die! _

 

Arcann’s brow was furrowed and his body stiff. He looked as if he was about to cry.

 

“Please remain calm, Commander. You did not do this willingly. I need to hear about what happened in the dream to be able to assess it properly. We can work together to understand it and therefore figure out how to control it.”

 

Callahira was on the edge of tears, her eyes already watering. She brought her hands to her face, breathing heavily and rapidly. Arcann didn’t move a muscle, frozen in shock.

 

“Commander, please describe your place in his dream. Were you able to change your surroundings? Arcann, were you consciously aware of her presence?”

 

“I couldn’t do...I don’t know if I could. I didn’t try. I could only scream...I couldn’t,” the Sith burst into tears and covered her mouth to try and silence her sobs.

 

Arcann’s right hand grabbed her left, instinctively, and she squeezed it tightly. He knew that she had been terrified of Valkorion’s presence and how she had begged him to wake up ‘before  _ he  _ saw them’.

 

The former Prince filled in the rest, “I was aware of her twice. The second time, I realized that I was dreaming and that she was...a guest.”

 

“I see,” Sana-Rae lowered her head again, thinking.

  
  


Callahira slammed her eyes shut as she brought her hands back together to completely shield her face. She was absolutely distraught, the horror was coursing through her veins and igniting every nerve. She began to shake and couldn’t manage to catch her breath. Sana-Rae looked to Arcann with knowing and nodded at him. He somehow knew she meant that he should comfort the Commander.

 

Arcann scooted over to the Sith and knelt in front of her. He gently pulled her to him in an embrace. Callahira continued to cover her face, but leaned into him.

 

“ _ I’m  _ **_not_ ** _ him. I’m  _ **_nothing_ ** _ like him _ ,” she forced out through her sobs, choking on disgust.

 

“I know that. You did nothing wrong. You are nothing like him, you never will be,” Arcann spoke softly into her ear as he stroked her hair and back, “it’s ok, Com...Cal.”

 

Arcann snapped his eyes closed, trying to keep his welling tears inside. Sana-Rae gave the two a few minutes as she knew it was necessary and it also gave her time to consider a solution.

 

_ This is it. This is when he pulls away from me forever. It will never happen now. I’m a monster. I’m a freak! He’ll never speak to me again.  _ Callahira grabbed Arcann, throwing her arms over his shoulders, and clung to him as tightly as she could.  _ Don’t leave me, please! I love you.  _ The Sith began to cry with an added intensity.  _ I do love him, don’t I? How did this happen? Why?  _ Arcann’s eyes popped open. He had felt that. He knew what emotions she was feeling right in that moment. It was as if she said the words aloud. He coveted her too, never wanting to let go, and right then and there he promised himself that he would stand by her no matter what happened or what dark forces she toyed with. None of this was not her doing. She was  _ not  _ evil and...he loved her.

 

Sana-Rae closed her eyes calmly, also feeling what was transpiring between the two. She felt their emotions wash over her and through her.

 

“Commander? Arcann? I think there is a way to control this,” the two didn’t separate and the Mystic continued, not the least bit insulted, “I believe we can teach Arcann to shield his mind the way you did on Ziost from Vitiate. The way you kept control of your own mind from the influence of Valkorion and the Sith spirits.”

 

Arcann almost questioned what she meant by ‘Sith spirits’, but he truly didn’t care in that moment. The emotions of his love for Callahira had overtaken him. That feeling he had felt on Tython, the realization that he was capable of feeling this at all; it pushed every other concern he ever had aside. The former tyrant and conqueror melted into her as he shut his eyes and exhaled, the tension and fear slipping away.

 

“I believe that when your spirits touched on Tython, you opened a gateway between the two of you. It is now much easier for your souls to communicate, unconsciously as well. The Jedi call this a ‘Force Bond’, but I believe this is much deeper than that, much stronger, because of your rare abilities.”

 

Callahira pulled away from him slowly and put her hands to Arcann’s cheeks as she gazed into his beautiful, bright, blue eyes. She ran her fingers down the scarred side of his face to which he leaned into, shutting his eyes again. The Sith smiled contently at him and turned to the Voss who was watching without judgement or concern. 

 

She sniffled and wiped her face, “I can teach him. And maybe you can help me figure out how to...not do...that other thing.”

 

Sana-Rae nodded silently.

  
  


******************

  
  


Ashara had felt her former master’s flaring emotions from her quarters, but did not enter the Force Enclave. She stood outside the closed doors, pacing back and forth for over an hour before Callahira and Arcann finally emerged. The Sith, the Zakuulan, and the Voss Mystic had been meditating upon the fears and newfound emotions that were raging through the former.

 

“Cal,” Ashara hesitantly questioned.

 

The Commander looked up at the Togruta, not knowing what to say. Arcann looked to the Sith, squeezed her hand, and walked away.

 

“Cal...are you alright?”

 

“I will be, Ashara.”

 

The former apprentice watched Arcann disappear down the corridor and turned back to the Dark Lord.

 

“I’ll explain later, Ashara. I need some time.”

 

“Of course, Cal. I was just worried. I felt...what you were feeling. Somewhat.”

 

“It’s all right. It’ll be fine.”

 

The Togruta smiled meekly and caressed the Sith’s arm.

 

“I had been wanting to tell you about a message I received from Ale...your...you know.”

 

Callahira’s face immediately became stricken with suspicion.

 

“It’s nothing bad. She had received my encrypted message. We send each other pre-recorded audio messages. I told her that we were already looking into...it. I had mentioned she could bring the family here. She said she’d consider it, but she needed time to...well, they have jobs and Ba...um, he has school.”

 

Callahira let out a sigh of relief and grabbed Ashara’s hand and squeezed.

 

“Thank you, ‘Shara. It’s good to hear that they’re all right. I’m having Torian contact some friends to send there inconspicuously. For ‘contracts’.”

 

“That’s a good idea. Torian seems very loyal and...nice.”

 

The Sith raised an eyebrow and a smirk grew.

 

“What?”

 

“He’s  _ nice _ , is he?”

 

“Shut up!”

 

Callahira managed to chuckle softly. She beamed at her former apprentice and locked their arms as they strolled back towards the war room.

 

“Oh, shoot. I told Talos we’d go to Ziost today, but...I’m not sure I want to. It’s...I’m not sure.”

 

“Cal, you should take care of yourself.”

  
“But he’ll be so disappointed, ‘Shara! I don’t think I could stand it!”

 

The Togruta giggled as her chin dipped towards her chest, “I’m sure he’ll be fine.”

 

“Maybe it’ll be a good distraction from,” the Sith took in a deep breath, “everything.”

 

“Why does he want to go to Ziost of all places?”

 

“Apparently, the Imperial Reclamation Service has uncovered a hidden ruin or something or...something. He’s  _ really _ excited about it.”

 

“How are you gonna be able to go? It’s an Imperial world!”

 

“Tora cooked up a false ID. I am apparently going to wear a disguise.”

 

“Cal! That’s...that’s  _ stupid _ !”

 

“I know. That’s why I said I’d do it.”

 

The two shared some giggles and made their way to Dr. Oggurobb’s lab where Talos could usually be found. Callahira glanced to her right to peer down the hall, seeing if she could spot Arcann. He was standing next to Senya near the holomap at the center of the war room.  _ Oh no. Maybe she can help him, comfort him. Or maybe she’s gonna rip me a new one. Will she hate me? How is she going to react to this? Maybe he won’t tell her. Stars, I hope she doesn’t hate me. _

 

“My Lord!  _ There  _ you are! Business all wrapped up, I hope,” Talos had sprinted down the hall from the lab to meet up with the two women.

 

“Hey, Talos? Maybe you two should wait until tomorrow,” Ashara chimed in.

 

“What?!”

 

Talos looked as if he was hearing the news that his mother just died. Ashara couldn’t help but be amused.

 

“I hear that...Ziost is having...uh...terrible weather,” she looked over at Callahira with a pleading look, “and Cal’s ship...it’s having maintenance done.”

 

“I was just down in the hangar! They said the ship would be ready to go! I can’t believe this! Oh dear!”

 

“Yeah...the...oh! The holocron did some...nasty business...stuff...to the ship,” Ashara fibbed, terribly.

 

The Dark Lord accidentally let out a snort, but quickly retracted her smile, “Talos, the ruin will still be there tomorrow. Besides, I haven’t come up with a good disguise.”

 

“Hmm, that’s a very good point, my Lord. Yes, indeed. We don’t want to end up in prison. Very well. I’ll let my colleagues know we have been delayed. Hopefully they won’t have all the fun.”

 

The slender man retreated back to Dr. Oggurobb’s lab, defeated and disappointed.

 

“That was  _ painful _ , Ashara. My heart is broken.”

 

The Togruta silently giggled, “he’ll get over it.”

 

“What if he doesn’t? What if we’ve broken him?”

 

Ashara belted out laughter, “he’s going to be fine!”

 

Callahira turned her head to look down the hall again and saw Arcann and Senya leaving the war room together. He turned to glance at her as well and gave a half smile. The Sith dropped her head to stare at the floor.

 

“What is it?”

 

“I was just thinking...I wish I could talk to them, see them. I wish they were here right now. I just want them here with me,” the Commander said as she looked back up into her former apprentice’s eyes, a look of pure agony on her face.

 

“She said she’d think about it, Cal.”

 

“Who knows what will happen by the time she makes up her mind?! I should just tell the Mandos to knock them all out, bind and gag them, and bring ‘em here.”

 

Ashara nudged the Commander with her arm playfully, “that’s terrible. Torian’s friends will protect them. It’ll be ok.”

 

“I hope so,” Callahira hung her head low again.

  
  


***************

  
  


Darkness had fallen on Odessen and the base began to empty out, save the soldiers on the night shift. The rest of the day hadn’t gifted any surprises or catastrophes. Lana’s agent had checked in, Torian’s friends were getting ready to head to Dromund Fels, and Callahira hadn’t heard a peep from Arcann or Senya. 

 

The Commander sat on her bed, concentrating her will on a Jedi holocron she and Talos had come across while exploring Dantooine the year before. It was apparently damaged beyond repair, but the Dark Lord diligently worked on it periodically. She could feel that it still held power, but it wouldn't activate for anything, including Force lightning. It bobbed and rotated slowly midair as the Sith focused, eyes closed.  _ Stubborn piece of junk! Just work!  _ Using the dark side didn’t work. Using the light within her didn’t work. Nothing. She grimaced at the holocron as it fell gently to rest on her bed before her. 

 

“At least you don’t try to throw me into black holes,” Callahira gave up and put the holocron back in its place on one of her shelves, perfectly aligned with the others.

 

The Sith sat back down on her bed, unsure of what to do. She had gotten a second burst of energy a few hours before and couldn’t imagine falling asleep now. She grabbed her datapad and scrolled through the hundreds of reports. The Dark Lord quickly became bored and threw it across the room with the Force and it gently landed on her desk. She puffed out air in frustration as she laid back into her bed and folded her hands atop her stomach.  _ Perhaps I’ll meditate on my dream again. Ugh. It’s important, though.  _ Callahira closed her eyes and brought her mind back to that planet in her dreams.

 

_ It’s...snowing...flurries. Snow is on the ground. A town is to my left, down a hillside...half a mile? A rocky mountain range to my right. A house. It’s a house. Imperial dropships. Imperial troopers. Loud speaker. Can’t understand it. She...Lana. Lana is behind me? Almost shot down? I was almost shot down? Lana is trying to...to. I don’t know. They are going to open fire on me. I’m running towards the house. _

 

Callahira’s eyes forced open before she could see the explosion again and feel the gut wrenching agony that came with it. She quickly snatched her datapad and sent the new details via email to Lana. _ What if it’s not what I think it is? What if it’s not Dromund Fels? What if it’s not my cousins? That house seemed familiar, but...what if they’re not even inside? How can I possibly know what happens until it happens?  _ The Commander calmed herself with deep, steady breathing. _ I don’t like sitting on my ass while the inevitable occurs. Nothing is inevitable! I need to do something. I need to get them out of there. I can’t take this anymore. _

 

The Sith decided she would march straight to the war room and arrange her family’s move to Odessen. She stood up with vigor and threw on a black, silk robe to match her negligee. Her heart fluttered and she clutched her chest.  _ He’s right outside the door! Oh, stars.  _ Callahira’s heart began to thump in her throat and her breath became labored. She swallowed hard as she slowly slid her door open. Arcann was leaning on the opposite wall, directly in front of her. He opened his eyes and stood up straight, not saying a word. The Sith froze in place, measuring him up and down, and then landed her sights on his eyes.

 

Neither were able to think of a word to say. A silent understanding passed between the two and Callahira backed into her room, keeping her eyes on Arcann. He pulled himself forward and slowly stepped into the Commander’s quarters, sliding the door shut behind him. His face instantly lit with fascination as he peered around the room. It was extremely bright, all the holocrons and hologram cataloguing glowing. It resembled a treasure room of some sort and he was absolutely enchanted. He’d never seen such a thing. Callahira had sat down on her bed while she looked up at Arcann’s childlike wonderment.

 

“Yes. I hoard,” she spoke through a proud smile.

 

“This...what  _ is  _ all of this?”

 

“Jedi and Sith stuff. Have a look around if you want,” she spoke casually as she crossed her legs.

 

Arcann couldn’t tear his eyes away from all the different antiquities littering her walls. He looked closely at a Jedi holocron that was slowly rotating, a little blue hologram stating its age, where it was found, and who made it.

 

“Did you do all of this?”

 

“My position in the Dark Council was heading the Sphere of Knowledge, which means I acquired and studied all the Sith, Jedi...any artifacts I could find. So, yes. I did.”

 

The former Emperor looked down at her, his smile remarkably wide, his eyes radiant. She returned the look of delight. This is who she was. She wasn’t after more power or the ability to live forever, enslaving millions and consuming worlds. She was a historian, a conservator, a collector. She was an archaeologist and an expert on the mysteries of the Force and those who taught them.

 

“This is incredible. I can’t believe...this is  _ amazing _ ,” Arcann scanned the room again.

 

Callahira hadn’t felt this happy in years. Not with Theron, not after defeating Valkorion...she felt like herself. She felt like she could  _ be  _ herself, here with Arcann, a man she had come to want...to need. The Sith was overwhelmed by the pleasure of the moment, she stood up and walked towards the former Prince, who was clad in his usual armor. She delicately took hold of his right arm and hugged it, closing her eyes as she rested her head against it. 

 

Arcann placed his hand on her head and down her back, careful not to snag her hair in his metal digits. He fully turned to her and cupped her face. The Sith held onto both of his wrists, looking into his eyes. He traced his thumbs over the scars under her eyes and leaned in to kiss her.

 

It was gentle, warm, pure. She wrapped her arms around his waist and he reciprocated. Callahira felt as if she was floating away, the pleasure building inside her, lifting her up. She pulled away to lay her head on his chest. He wrapped her up in his arms and pressed his lips into her hair, exhaling.

 

“Will you stay,” the Sith asked, words muffled into his chest.

 

Arcann inhaled deeply and then let it out, “yes.”

 

Callahira jumped back and looked at him with a childlike giddiness, and then began to panic. She wasn’t used to being so scatterbrained when she was intimate with men, first time together or otherwise. She was always confident, always the femme fatale. She felt as if this was the first time ever, feeling as nervous about it as a teenager. Arcann couldn’t help but laugh at her expression. 

 

“You’re very excited,” he spoke through chuckles.

 

“Oh, I didn’t mean to imply...or assume. I just...well. It’s,” she cut herself off with a defeated sigh.

 

Silenced lasted longer than she was comfortable with.  _ Now what? Oh no, this is awkward. What do I do? I don’t know what to do! I always know what to do! Stars, this is embarrassing. I hope he just takes initiative. Go on then! Grab me and throw me down!  _ Callahira laughed at her own thought and couldn’t stop.

 

“What?”

 

“Nothing,” she kept giggling, “I was just thinking.”

 

Arcann became nervous. What was she thinking about? Was she laughing at him? He closed his eyes and concentrated, experimenting with the stronger connection they seemed to have following Tython. Some images and emotions flashed across his mind. He burst into nervous bouts of laughter.

 

“Oh my!”

 

Callahira whipped her gaze up to him, “what?!”

 

Arcann was cackling now, grasping at his sides, “that’s very...specific!”

 

The Sith’s face contorted with horror, “did you just...did you just  _ read my mind _ ?!”

 

The former Emperor began heaving and snorting, his eyes beginning to well up.

 

He swallowed and took a few deep breaths, “you’re very creative,” and reverted back to snickering.

 

“That’s it! Get out,” she shouted, playfully, as she marched back towards her bed.

 

Arcann chased after her, grabbed her waist from behind, and picked her up to carry her like a bride.

 

“No no! It’s good! Now I have some new ideas.”

 

The Sith uncharacteristically blushed, her face full of surprise and anticipation. He was smiling widely as he stared into her pearlescent eyes. He gradually walked to the edge of her bed and placed her down gently. His expression turned somber as he gazed down at her, as what they were about to do dawned on him. It had been years since he had been intimate with anyone and when he had, it was purely physical. He never cared about the person he was sleeping with. This was new territory for him, and somewhat for the Commander as well.

 

Callahira grabbed his left hand and yanked him closer as she scooted back on the bed. He followed, crawling over her, and they stopped as her head found a pillow. He lowered himself on top of her, his right knee between her legs. She could feel his hardness pressing into her and she pulled his face to hers. Arcann hungrily kissed her, his heart beating faster and the pleasure building within him.

 

Arcann moved down, his lips traveling to her neck and then down to her clavicle. The Sith moaned with pleasure as she felt herself becoming increasingly wet. She placed her hands on his head to pet him as she drew her eyes closed. His kisses became rougher and more frantic, her purring nearly driving him mad. Sliding his hands over her to push her robe aside, he grasped her breast with his metallic hand and moved his mouth ever downward.

 

Callahira’s body jerked, sending out a small yelp, when she felt his fingers graze her inner thigh. His lips caressed every inch of the way to her throbbing heat. The Sith was overcome as every nerve in her body flared: her lips tingling, her pleasure coursing through her, up her chest and down to her toes. She clawed at her bed, gripping on to the sheet. Arcann didn’t have to work long before she reached her climax. She held her breath as every one of her muscles contracted, and when the Sith could finally gasp for air, she cried out. 

 

Arcann patted his face on his sleeve and immediately came back up to silence her with a kiss. Callahira was breathless, but greedy for more. She wrapped her legs tightly around his waist and clawed at his back, eagerly trying to remove his shirt in vain. Arcann bent back up, taking the hint, and began to remove his overly complex ensemble. The Sith scooted out from under his legs to remove her robe and saw how he was furiously trying to undo straps and buckles, his fingers failing him.

 

The Dark Lord snickered at the former conqueror, “need some help?”

 

The man spat out a few laughs and admitted defeat. Callahira unbuckled and unbuttoned every fastener she came across, Arcann having to point out the few she missed, as the two chuckled nervously. When his top was finally free, the Sith pressed the tips of her fingers gently to his chest. She traced the lines of his misshapen flesh, following the curves of his muscles. He responded with a caress of her face and leaned down to grab her lips with his own.

Callahira’s hands trickled down his stomach to his hips and found his belt. Arcann stood fully on his knees, tentatively, and allowed her to unfasten it. 

 

Callahira brushed her hand along his erection through his pants while the other slowly unclasped his golden belt buckle. Arcann dipped his head back in sheer arousal, panting heavily. The Sith freed his hardness, quietly gratified by his endowment, and pressed her lips to its tip. The former Prince couldn’t stand it a moment longer. He pushed his trousers the rest of the way off and shifted Callahira down on her back again, climbing on top. He tugged the bottom of her nightdress up over her breasts and pulled it out from under her head. 

 

Arcann paused for a moment, gazing down upon her: her long, raven hair sprawled over the pillow, her bare breasts, the flush in her cheeks...all of her. Callahira tilted her head wondering if this was too fast for him. She brought her palm to his marred face, caressing it, and smiled warmly. He lowered himself down fully, pressing his lips to her neck. As he slowly entered her, a spark of lightning lit from her fingertips that were tickling his back.

 

“ _ Ow _ ,” Arcann flinched at the surprise of the sensation.

 

“ _ I’m sorry! I’m sorry _ ,” Callahira spit out quickly, not expecting her powers to surge without her permission.

 

The former Emperor couldn’t help but erupt into laughter. The Sith followed suit, the humor easing the intensity of what they were experiencing.

 

“Am I going to survive this,” Arcann quipped, his teeth flashing.

 

“It’ll be interesting to see if you do.”

 

“Interesting indeed.”

 

And with that, Arcann pressed further into her, back and forth as he deepened. Callahira couldn’t make a sound, every inch of her being filled, every point in contact. As she neared another climax, every muscle tensed once again, squeezing around Arcann’s length. He tried to focus and not give in, not yet. The Sith bit into his shoulder as she came. Hearing his grunts and moans beside her ear was enough to send her over the edge again. His hands wandered from her waist, to her arms, to her breasts, to her face; he was beside himself, clinging to every part of her.

 

Callahira raised her pelvis, lifted by her legs around his waist, sending him deeper into her. Her breath caught on the sensitivity inside her. She could barely keep her arms around his neck, the strength sapping from her. An amethyst glow started to emanate from her skin, lightly enveloping the two of them. It was  _ her _ ; her strength, her power, her essence. 

 

Arcann lifted her by her hips to sit on top of him. She slid down upon him slowly and carefully. Their eyes locked and he could no longer endure it. He pressed his face to her chest as he came into her, panting raggedly. Callahira held him close to her, her hands gently clutching his face as his hot breath ran across her skin.

 

They stayed embracing for what felt like a split second and an eternity. Arcann turned his head up to look in her eyes, his forehead misty with sweat. The Sith beamed at him as she slowly brought her lips to peck the tip of his nose. He chuckled and clasped either side of her face to kiss her deeply, his lips squeezing hers.

 

He placed her back down to the bed as he pulled out of her, making her inhale sharply. He laid down next to her and she scrambled to snuggle close to him. She curled up into the curve of him, letting her right arm pet his chest. Arcann sighed with contentment as Callahira planted kisses on his skin where she could reach. The former conqueror brought his unmarred hand around to hold hers.

 

“You survived,” the Sith spoke into his side.

 

“Did I? How do I know this isn’t the afterlife?”

 

“Are you saying you’re in  _ heaven _ ,” Callahira toyed.

 

“Closest I’ve gotten to it,” he lifted his head to look down at her.

 

The Dark Lord pinched his side as they both giggled.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Callahira gets new insight into her dream. Cal and Lana learn more about the naughty holocron. Cal confronts Arcann.  
> Cal prepares for travel to Ziost, finally.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is basically filler that sets up the next series of events. It's a lot of dialogue. It does offer critical info, though. Some laffs in there, lads! Some loose ends in there that will be tied up later :D

The Dark Lord fluttered her eyelids as white flakes stuck to her lashes.  _ I’m back.  _ Imperial dropships and the soldiers who had disembarked appeared frozen.  _ Hello? _ The Sith began to take one step forward, but before she could move she heard a garbled, disembodied voice speaking behind her.

 

“ _ Get me...need to...invasion...Darth...now! ...on...urgent...not inva...Order…!” _

 

Callahira tried to turn around to find the voice, but she was frozen as well, as if her feet were stuck in pitch. The snow flurries were hanging mid air, caught in an eternal plummet, never amassing on the ground. Callahira sucked in the air forcibly and began to shiver. For the first time, she saw the house in front of her clearly. Nothing could distract her and she now had more time before the blast. The Imperial soldiers barely seemed to move, stuck in the slog of infinite time.

 

_ That’s...that’s not where she lives. Where is this? _

 

The Dark Lord then felt as if a hand reached inside her and grabbed her core as it ripped her backwards. The air was sucked out of her lungs and as she blinked in shock, she found herself in a room of darkness. She felt as if the darkness was suffocating her.

 

“ _....flesh…” _

 

_ “Who’s there,”  _ Callahira spun around in a panic.

 

“ _ You...speak...it remem…” _

 

The Sith twisted around again, catching a glimpse of something that moved in her peripheral. The voice seemed to come from  _ everywhere,  _ in no particular direction.

 

“ _....child...must.” _

 

_ “I can’t hear you! Who are you?!” _

 

_ “...must!” _

 

The darkness started to lighten in front of her, a red glow humming and leaching.

  
  


**************

  
  


Callahira’s eyes opened sleepily, her hair still damp from showering the night before, and a crimson glare caught her eye. A Sith holocron on a shelf to her left, closest to her, was dimming slowly.

 

“You’ve  _ got  _ to be kidding me!”

 

The Dark Lord brushed the blanket covering her aside and flew out of bed.

 

“I knew that voice sounded familiar!”

 

She scanned the room, remembering that Arcann had fallen asleep next to her.  _ Probably snuck out before dawn so no one would know he was here all night.  _ The Sith giggled like a pre-adolescent, feeling like she had gone behind her Master’s back.

 

“And _ that’s _ another thing,” she turned back to the unlit holocron, “the fact that you waited for years to speak to me, which I didn’t even know you could through this thing, you had to visit me  _ last  _ night! Of all nights,  _ really _ ? I’m actually quite disturbed.”

 

Callahira felt a spark ignite in her heart and whipped around to see Arcann’s shock and confusion. He was holding two mugs, already dressed. What he was witnessing was nowhere near anything he could possibly have imagined. The Sith was stark naked, arguing with something on her shelf. Arcann quickly slid the bedroom door closed with his elbow.

 

“This isn’t what it looks like,” the Dark Lord felt guilty about something, but didn’t know what.

 

“I have  _ no  _ idea what this looks like,” the former Prince spoke through a face stricken with bewilderment, “were you...talking to a-”

 

“No, I’m just crazy, talking to myself,” Callahira uttered as she grabbed the blanket off her bed to wrap around her nude form.

 

“ _ Ooh _ , what’s that,” she sauntered over to Arcann, staring at the mugs he was holding.

 

“Caffeine,” he muttered, his expression still in shock.

 

“Mmm! One for me?”

 

“Of course.”

 

“Room service...oh, I’ve done well,” the Dark Lord plucked a mug from his hands and sipped carefully.

 

Arcann was altogether entertained by his Commander’s quirks and comedic timing. He brought his own mug to his lips, which were curved upward.

 

“ _ Sithspit _ ! What time is it? Why didn’t you wake me up!?”

 

“I was about to before...you were awake when I got back.”

 

“It’s  _ ten _ .  _ Ten  _ in the morning, Arcann.  **_Ten_ ** !”

 

Arcann sat himself down on her sofa and proceeded to watch the morning’s entertainment, which was just Callahira...being Callahira.

 

“Talos is going to  _ die _ . He’s going...to  **die** ! He’ll never forgive me. Where’s my...there you are.”

 

The Commander was racing across her room in a frenzy. Arcann sipped his caf, becoming less and less able to withhold laughter with each passing moment.

 

“New dream details! I have to go check in with Lana first. Then Talos. Oh, but your training! No no, that can wait. _ Where in the world is my _ ...there it is.”

 

The Sith was dressed in the blink of an eye and already sitting at her vanity, applying her familiar black shadow and lipstick.

 

Callahira grunted as she clamped her jaw shut, “stupid, stupid hair! Why do you have to take so long? Just work,” she gasped as the thought arrived,  _ “the holocron _ ! I can’t wait to tell Talos!”

 

She began scouring her room again, looking under pillows, pushing papers aside on her desk. As a million thoughts shuffled through her mind, one stopped her dead in her tracks.

 

_ Order.  _ **_The_ ** _ Order. _

 

The Sith remembered the echo of a voice coming from behind her in her first dream, in the frozen landscape. Arcann brought his mug away from his lips, noticing the flip in her mood and the pause of her rapid motion. Silence fell upon the room and suddenly the shelves rattled and the holocrons brightened for a moment. 

 

The former Emperor cautiously rose to his feet, “Callahira?”

 

He stepped towards her, carefully, and heard her muttering under her breath, coldness radiating from her.

 

“ _ The Order. The  _ **_Order_ ** _. _ ”

 

Electricity crackled in her palms. The dark side was funneling into her; that feeling as cold as ice and just as scorching. 

 

Arcann stepped closer, “Cal?”

 

The Commander’s vision tunneled and she was no longer aware of her surroundings. A darkness came down around her, enveloping her senses.  _ The Order.  _ She shut her eyes, blood pulsing in her ears, and she saw Theron in her mind. Her fury was rising and if he was in her sights now, he would be obliterated.

 

“ _ Cal _ ,” Arcann finally reached her and placed his hand on her shoulder, as gently as he could.

 

His familiar, loving energy broke the spell she was under and as the dark side slipped out of her, grief filled the void. Her breathing became heavy to avoid passing out and Arcann slowly pulled her shoulder to turn her around.

 

“What is it?”

 

She couldn’t look at him and stared at his chest, “it’s...a dream I had. I’ve been having.”

 

Her rage came back as her features turned into sharp and deadly scowl.

 

“I need to speak with Lana. Now.”

 

Her thoughts shifting again, she remembered the night she had with Arcann, remembered that he was standing in front of her, and her temper departed once again. She breathed in as much air as she could hold and slowly let it out as she shut her eyes. 

 

Arcann brushed a loose strand of hair behind her ear which caught her attention.

 

“What dream?”

 

“I...I can’t tell you right now. I need to go see Lana.”

 

She felt guilty and overly dramatic, but the thought of Theron being responsible for the explosion in her dream, whether it was his intention or not, made her see red...and only red.

 

“I promise I’ll explain later,” she finally looked up at her Prince, his face stricken with concern.

 

“It’s...a long story. Well, it’s not that long, but I need to tell Lana right away.”

 

“All right,” he leaned down and kissed her forehead which brought a smile to her face.

 

“I lo,” Callahira stopped herself from saying those three words, and as she grabbed a hair tie to throw her damp hair all in a bun, Arcann grabbed her wrist.

 

She squeezed her eyes shut, mortified.  _ Don’t say it. Don’t say it. I can’t handle it. Too soon. It’s too soon to hear again.  _ The former Prince felt a tug of anxiety in his stomach and felt he should wait to say it to her, for some reason. Instead, he pulled the rest of her to him and kissed her in earnest. The Dark Lord nearly came apart, but resisted giving in. She stepped back with a guilty smile on her face and turned to leave her quarters.

 

“Be sure no one sees you leave. Apparently, the soldiers are making up wild tales about the two of us. Something about sleep walking nude and bleeding on you,” she turned back to wink at him.

 

“ _ What _ ?”

 

The Sith puffed out a laugh, “like a game of holocall. I wonder how they’ll twist this one.”

 

Callahira slid her door open and with one more smile back at him, departed.

 

“ _ Bleeding on me _ ?”

  
  


*******************

  
  


The Commander entered the war room, but Lana was nowhere in sight. There was Koth, T7, Senya, Tora...Senya. The Dark Lord paused, prepared herself, and hesitantly walked to join them around the holomap.

 

“T7 = certain.”

 

“You crappy, little, hunk of junk, there’s no way you decrypted that!”

 

“T7 = not like to be called that. Tora = needs to be nicer.”

 

“ _ Ugh _ . Oh, hey, Boss! Got your ID,” Tora turned from the astromech and walked up to the Sith.

 

“Thank you. You sure this will work,” Callahira asked as she accepted the card.

 

“Please! I’m a professional. Gimme some credit.”

 

“T7 = could have done a better job.”

 

“Hey! I’m five seconds away from recycling you, tincan,” the blue haired mechanic flipped back.

 

“So, who am I supposed to be?”

 

Tora turned back to the Commander, “a Sith Lord, obviously.”

 

Callahira raised an unamused brow, “which one? Hopefully not Darth Imperius. That would be the opposite of the point.”

 

“You know, it’d be nice to get some respect around here once in a while,” Tora huffed as she folded her arms in front of her.

 

“Maybe Tora would if Tora = nicer.”

 

Tora closed her eyes to retain her anger, still facing the Commander, “as I was saying, you’re a different Sith Lord, obviously. Lord Nox.”

 

“Who’s Lord Nox.”

 

“You are!”

 

“Tora,” the Sith was losing patience.

 

“There is no Lord Nox. I made her up.”

 

“What?! That’s not going to work!”

 

“You honestly think Imp soldiers know the name of every Sith? I mean, those guys have a high turnover rate. By the time they know a Sith’s name, he’s already dead!”

 

“Hmm. Good point,” Callahira brought her fingers up to her chin, inquisitively.

 

“It’ll work...unless,” Tora paused.

 

“Unless,  _ what _ ?”

 

“Well, unless there’s a Dark Council guy there,” she said, casually, and then proceeded to blow a raspberry, “they probably don’t know every Lord either. Like I said, high turnover.”

 

“They would ask who my master is.”

 

“Well, then think of a good lie! I made the ID! What more do ya want?!”

 

The Dark Lord exhaled in defeat, “ok, ok. Thank you, Tora.”

 

“Sheesh! I get no respect,” Tora spat out as she marched off to the hangar.

 

“T7 = said Tora would if Tora = nicer.”

 

“ _ I heard that _ ,” Tora shouted from down the hall.

 

Callahira tucked the false ID into her pocket and looked up to see Senya eyeing her.

 

The Sith nodded, “Senya.”

 

“Hello, Commander. Late start, huh?”

 

The Dark Lord’s eyes were widening, but she remained composed, “yes. I’ve been having strange dreams every couple of nights. Nothing to worry about.”

 

“I see. Do you think I could have a word with you,” the former Knight questioned as the corner of her mouth curled up.

 

Callahira blinked a few times, trying to prepare for the worst, “of course.”

 

“Somewhere private, perhaps?”

 

Koth looked up at hearing that, “oh no, what’d she do now?”

 

“Shut up, Koth,” the Commander spat with a smile.

 

“Uh oh, someone’s in trouble,” Koth quipped in singsong fashion.

 

“No, not in trouble, exactly,” now Senya was smiling.

 

“I hate this job,” the Sith grumbled and then gestured for Senya to follow her.

 

Callahira almost went in the direction of her quarters, but remembered she had just left Arcann there a few minutes ago. Now  _ that  _ would be mortifying. She backtracked a few steps and headed towards the Force Enclave.  _ No! He might have gone that way. Did he?  _ The Sith stopped in her tracks again, not sure which direction she should head in. Senya cocked her head, her eyebrows arched.

 

“Something wrong, Commander?”

 

“What? No. Uh...where would you like to talk?”

 

“How about your quarters?”

 

“No! I mean, no. It’s...it’s a mess. I’d rather not.”

 

“How about mine then,” Senya questioned, becoming increasingly amused, fully aware of what was going on.

 

Callahira’s original intent circled back around. She had come to speak to Lana about her dream and  _ The Order _ . She was almost grateful for the new, sensitive information.

 

“Wait, I can’t right now. I can’t believe I almost forgot. I must speak with Lana, immediately. I swear. I wasn’t lying, I really have been having strange dreams lately and this has to do with them.”

 

“So...you were lying when you told me you slept so late because of strange dreams,” Senya smirked at the Sith.

 

The Dark Lord knew that she couldn’t hide this from Arcann’s own mother and that she already was aware. 

 

Callahira let out an exasperated sigh, admitting defeat, “I will come and talk to you later. I swear. This really  _ is  _ urgent, Senya.”

 

Senya immediately felt the shift in the Commander’s mood.

 

“Is everything alright?”

 

“I...don’t know, but I need to speak with her now. Have you seen her?”

 

“She left a little under an hour ago towards....hmm. I’m not exactly sure where she went. Have you tried her holo?”

 

“No, but I’m about to.”

 

Callahira punched in Lana’s code on her holocom and waited. And waited. The Sith’s fear started to build the more Lana didn’t answer.

 

“Why isn’t she answering? She always answers! Something must be wrong. I have to find her,” the Commander immediately starting jogging towards the Force Enclave.

 

The Dark Lord asked every soldier along the way if they had seen the intelligence officer to which she was given a multitude of  _ no’s.  _ Lana was not among the Force-sensitives and Sana-Rae had no clue either. Callahira ran down to Dr. Oggurobb’s lab.

 

“ _ My Lord _ ,” Talos shouted from across the room.

 

“Talos! Hi! Yes, we’ll depart today, but I must find Lana first. Have you seen her?”

 

“I’m afraid not. Is everything all right, my Lord?”

 

“Yes, everything’s fine! I just need to give her some information before we can go,” the Sith was starting to panic, feeling like every moment mattered.

 

“Have you tried her holocom, my Lord?”

 

“She’s not answering. I’ll find you later,” the Dark Lord sprinted back the way she came before Talos could say another word.

 

_ Where is she?! The cantina? No, she would’ve just answered the call. Is she offworld? She would’ve told me. Stars, I hope she hasn’t been kidnapped ! Let’s see. Not the cantina. Not the Force Enclave. The hangar? Maybe she went out of range? No, those thing’s have an incredible range...maybe it’s broken. That doesn’t make sense, she’d just get another one. _

 

Callahira sprinted down the winding halls and skidded to a halt, “Bey’wan! Have you seen Lana?”

 

“Commander, is everything all right,” the Bothan shot his head up.

 

“Yes, everything’s fine! Just looking for Lana,” the Sith uttered, breathless.

 

“Yeah. She said something about heading onboard the Gravestone. That wasn’t too long ago. You sure you’re alright?”

 

“Yes, yes! Of course! Just...need to go. Thank you,” and with that, the Commander darted towards the hangar door.

 

Callahira finally made it halfway across the durasteel bridge, but she felt a pull towards her own starship and not the Gravestone. She immediately sensed something was amiss. A presence started to buzz in her ears; a piercing, shrill, and deafening thing. The closer she got to her starship’s gangplank, the less she could hear the rest of the world. She made her way into the saloon of the Fury and the ringing had completely blocked all other sound. The Sith noticed light emanating from the hold, a blazing crimson, brighter than any holocron could possibly shine.

 

“ _ Lana _ ,” the Dark Lord cried out, but couldn’t hear her own voice.

 

Callahira trudged further into the ship and it felt as if the piercing whine in her skull was adding resistance to her own movement, causing her to lean forward. She finally reached the cargo bay and grabbed the threshold to pull herself inside. Lana was kneeling, holding the mischievous Sith holocron, her eyes closed, its glow blinding.

 

“ **_Lana_ ** !”

 

The Dark Lord pulled herself forward, the shriek inducing her nose to bleed and her eyes to water. She finally managed to to lay her hand upon Lana’s shoulder. It sent waves of pain throughout her body, every muscle spasming, her nerve endings burning. Lana didn’t awaken. Callahira mustered all of her strength, launched herself forward, and knocked the holocron out of woman’s hands. The pain ceased as the hollow ringing subsided. Lana immediately inhaled as if she had been holding her breath and the Dark Lord fell to her knees.

 

“Callahira!”

 

“Lana,  _ what were you doing _ ,” the Sith spoke, breathlessly.

 

“My Lord, I...I followed a disturbance in the Force,” she uttered, her expression that of complete shock.

 

“Lana,” the Sith muttered as she caught her own breath.

 

“Commander, I’ve...never felt anything like that. I’ve never heard of... _ anything _ ...like,” Lana looked down at her hands as she spoke.

 

“Lana, that holocron is extremely dangerous! It’s...I still don’t even know what it is, who made it, or why! Why did you touch it?  _ What were you thinking _ ?!”

 

“I shouldn’t have. I followed the disturbance to your ship. I felt compelled to hold it. That there...I should’ve known not to listen to the desire. It’s as if it...called to me. It wanted to me hold it, to...listen to it,” Lana was panting, her hands covering her heart.

 

“That’s it! I’m destroying it. It’s too dangerous. I don’t know why I held onto it. I didn’t think...I didn’t think it could do something like this. I didn’t think it was so powerful! I’m such a fool!  _ Idiot _ !”

 

“ _ No _ ! Commander, no! You mustn’t destroy it! We need to shield it, us, somehow, but you need to keep it.”

 

“Have you completely lost your mind!? Is  **it** making you think that?”

 

Lana carefully rose to her feet, “No, Commander, but I think it’s...it’s trying to tell us something. It needs to. It won’t stop...acting out, unless we do what it wants.”

 

“What **_it_** wants?! That ghastly holocron has crossed the line! I will not appease an _inanimate object_ while it endangers us,” Callahira shot up straight.

 

“You misunderstand. I don’t think it’s trying to control us or...it’s not making demands. I think it needs to tell us something. Something vital,” Lana spoke as she lowered her head to gaze upon the small pyramid laying on the ground, “I could hear its words in my mind. I could almost understand it.”

 

“And what if it was trying to control you? What if it...what if I was wrong and it  _ is  _ trapping a spirit within? What if it was trying to  _ possess  _ you?! Sithspit, Lana!”

 

“Commander, it wasn’t. I know it. It needed to show me something. So many images...they were all fractured, scrambled. I couldn’t make sense of any of it,” Lana turned to the Dark Lord,” we must be cautious, of course, and not underestimate the draw it seems to have, but we needn’t destroy it.”

 

“Well, where on earth do we put it? How could we shield it or...how do we stop it from doing this again?”

 

“I don’t know. I don’t think it means us any harm, Commander. I know you don’t believe me. Perhaps Sana-Rae might have some ideas.”

 

“Well, I’m not touching that thing. Let’s get out of here,” the Sith turned to stare at the holocron, “and  _ you _ . You and I are not done, creature. Your disobedience ends  **now** !”

 

Callahira grabbed Lana’s arm and pulled her out of the room, marched across the saloon, and down the gangplank.

 

“ _ Arcann _ ,” the Sith was surprised to see the former Prince right outside the ship, appearing extremely concerned.

 

“I felt that...something...what happened?”

 

“That holocron is in deep, boiling water is what happened! I need to get Lana to Sana-Rae.”

 

The Dark Lord continued on her march back to base. Arcann took one look at the Fury’s hatch and turned to follow the two women.

  
  


******************

 

“I do not have much knowledge on the subject, Commander. You are far more of an expert than I,” Sana-Rae softly spoke.

 

“But can you think of anything to contain it? Some way to shield its effects?”

 

“The only thing I can think of is to use the Force, Commander.”

 

“Hmm, a Force shield. But someone would need to constantly keep it up, meditate on it. That’s not very practical,” Callahira brought her fingers to massage her forehead.

 

“Perhaps you could simply keep it far away, outside of the base. Maybe in the wilds,” the Mystic calmly stated.

 

“Just...keep it away from everyone? It can still inflict damage. What if it turned the wildlife into mad beasts? What if it decides to raise a sleen army against the Alliance,” the Sith cracked with a grin.

 

The Voss continued with no shift in her expression or demeanor, “what of the cave where you experienced your vision with Darth Marr and Satele?”

 

“Wouldn’t that amplify its power?”

 

“It could sate it.”

 

“ _ Sate _ it? As in hunger? That’s a disturbing thought,” Callahira’s whipped up to meet the Mystic’s gaze.

 

“Lana believes it wishes to be heard. The power of Odessen combined with that of the vision cave could give it the freedom to do so.”

 

“With no one around to listen to it, of course.”

 

“Perhaps it will become less frustrated, feeling less confined.”

 

“I don’t like how any of this sounds,” Arcann chimed in.

 

“ _ You think I do _ ? I really hate that thing. I’d rather drop it in a volcano. That was my original plan,” the Dark Lord quipped back.

 

“Commander, please,” Lana looked up from her meditation nearby.

 

“Fine! I don’t want to think about it anymore. I’ll toss the damned thing in the cave and bury it. And when you’re done recovering here, Lana, I have  _ critical  _ information for you.”

 

“What is it? You can tell me now!”

 

“No, I’m taking care of the accursed holocron first. Won’t be long.”

 

Callahira turned to leave and caught sight of Arcann’s worried expression. She looked away and walked out of the Force Enclave with him turning to watch her leave.

  
  


************

  
  


The Commander grabbed the holocron off the floor of the cargo bay, fury rising inside her.

 

“You’re lucky to be in one piece,  _ creature _ . I’d have you smelted down.”

 

The artifact didn’t activate the entire journey to the vision cave, the same cave that she had battled a vision of Vaylin, where she constructed a lightsaber with Satele Shan and Darth Marr. The air in the cave felt alive, pulsing with the Force. The holocron began to hum and emit a soft, crimson glow.

 

“You wait until I’m out of here to do anything unsavory or I  **will** destroy you,” Callahira huffed at the artifact in her hand as she set it down at the back of the cavern.

 

It didn’t speak, but the Sith felt its power growing and spreading.

 

“ _ Behave _ . You know what will happen if you defy me again, creature.”

 

And with that, the Commander marched towards the mouth of the cave. Arcann was waiting at the entrance, pacing back and forth. The Dark Lord proceeded forward until she stood right in front of him.

 

“So, do you finally think I am too much of a twisted freak to...fool around with?”

 

“ _ What _ ?”

 

“I saw how you looked at me back there. You’re afraid of me,” Callahira stared straight into his eyes, as if scolding him.

 

“No, I am not,” Arcann reached out to take her hand, but she pulled back.

 

“Then you’re a fool. This is a part of who I am. This darkness, the dark side. And you...you can’t trifle with that.”

 

“Callahira, I’m not...I’m not judging you. Just because you-”

 

The Sith cut him off, her words biting, “you would risk everything to be with me? You’d throw away everything you’ve been working for? You’d become  _ him  _ again, who you were?”

 

“I...love you. I’m not going anywhere,” Arcann spoke as he lowered his head.

 

“You didn’t answer my question! And you...you... _you_ _what_?!”

 

The Sith’s heart began to race and her face blush as the former Prince took her hand in his.

 

“You heard me,” he put his other arm around her waist to pull her closer to him.

 

“Arcann, I...you’re...don’t change the subject!”

 

“I know you’re strong enough to face...whatever darkness you face. You’re stronger than it. Of course I’m concerned, but only because I don’t want you to get hurt,” he whispered under his breath as he brought his lips to hers.

 

Callahira gave in and clung to him tightly.  _ He’s such a fool, but I can’t let go of him.  _ Arcann wrapped his arms around her as she laid her head on his chest, and he gently rocked her side to side.

 

“I love you too.”

 

The former conqueror closed his eyes and felt his whole world shift. Something lit up inside of him, something warm and calming, something that seemed to be the last piece of a puzzle. He stroked her hair and held his lips to her forehead as they embraced, swaying to and fro.

 

“Arcann,” Callahira probed as she drew away from him.

 

“Hmm?”

 

“Do you know what I didn’t like about being...with Theron? I felt like there was something wrong with me, something shameful that I had to hide. I couldn’t talk about the Sith or all the things I was interested in, all that happened to me. I couldn’t talk about... _ anything _ . I thought I had to change, had to be someone else...I believed that. I even,” the Sith stopped and sighed.

 

“You even decided to help the Republic on Iokath,” Arcann finished for her.

 

Callahira looked up at him again with a pained expression, “yes. I couldn’t stand...I didn’t want him to have to fight his own father or go against what he believed. Instead, I went against what  _ I  _ believed. And that...I don’t ever want to do that again.”

 

“I’m not asking you to change,” the former Prince lifted her head by her chin.

 

“Why? Why wouldn’t you be disturbed by all of this? Why aren’t you worried?”

 

“I am worried.”

 

“Exactly! So you want me to change!”

 

“You misunderstand. I’m worried  _ for  _ you. I just don’t want you to get hurt, but I...I’ll always be here to protect you,” Arcann lowered his head again.

 

“I think I’m perfectly capable of protecting myself, thank you very much.”

 

The former Prince chuckled and placed his right hand to her cheek, “I’m well aware. How about, ‘I’ll always be here to...support you’.” 

 

“You’re not afraid?”

 

“No. Well, a little. Of that holocron,” Arcann smiled, amused.

 

“I  _ hate  _ that thing...but you know, I agree with Lana and I’m curious enough to dabble with it. It gave me a nosebleed. It tried to send us into a black hole, multiple times. Even still, I want to study it. Does that not bother you?”

 

“No.”

 

“You’re an idiot.”

 

“Indeed, I am, but you’re something of an archaeologist, yes? That’s what you do. I just want you to...I don’t want you to get hurt. Although, you’ve faced down far more dangerous enemies and walked away unscathed,” he said as a lopsided grin appeared.

 

The Commander sighed heavily in defeat and relief, “I wouldn’t say completely unscathed, but I take your meaning. Let’s just get back. I have to go to Ziost with Talos or he’ll never forgive me.”

 

The two strolled through the wilds, back over the durasteel bridge, and made their way inside the hangar bay, still holding hands.

 

“Sorry for being so dramatic,” the Sith turned to face Arcann.

 

“So you’re apologizing for every other minute of the day as well,” the former Prince couldn’t help but grin.

 

“You are such an ass!”

 

Callahira playfully slapped his arm. Just as they turned back to leave the hangar, they spotted Lana walking at a fast pace to catch up with them.

 

“Commander, everything taken care of?”

 

“Lana, I don’t want  _ anyone  _ going near that thing.”

 

“Of course. I’ll keep an eye on it. You said you needed to tell-”

 

“That includes you too, Lana,” the Dark Lord interrupted her.

 

“I won’t. I meant I’ll keep on eye on the surrounding area to see if its influence has spread to...well, its surroundings. Now what did you have to tell me?”

 

“Come to my quarters,” the Sith commanded as she marched forward.

 

Callahira looked back and noticed Arcann was following too as they neared the war room.

 

“I need to speak with her alone, Arcann.”

 

“You don’t think he can be trusted with this information,” Lana chimed in.

 

“No, it’s not that, it’s...I don’t know!”

 

“Trust me with what?”

 

“The dreams, her family,” Lana blurted out.

 

“Lana! What did I say?!”

 

“Do you really think I’m that blind? I know the both of you are...what have you. You don’t think he could help?”

 

“ _ What have you _ . That’s a nice way to put it,” Callahira spat out as she folded her arms.

 

“You  _ can  _ trust me,” Arcann interjected.

 

“I know that, you ass.  _ Fine _ ,” the Sith grunted and continued on to her quarters as the other two followed.

 

The three entered the Commander’s quarters with Arcann shutting the door behind them. Lana walked up to Callahira, whose back was turned.

 

“What’s this about a family? I thought your parents had died,” the former Prince said as he moved forward to join the gathering.

 

The Dark Lord sighed deeply and turned around to meet Arcann’s gaze, “they’re distant cousins. My father’s side. It’s...a long story. I’ve just been looking after them. Well, I haven’t, Ashara has. She made sure they were safe during your whole angry, rebellious teenager phase.”

 

“Rebellious teenager phase?”

 

“What? They don’t have those in Zakuul,” the Sith quipped which brought forth a smile from her Prince.

 

“Can we please get back on track? What’s this new information,” Lana interrupted.

 

“I had another dream, but it was...different,” the Sith looked back at Arcann, feeling embarrassed for some reason, and continued, “I think you were behind me, Lana. I learned that when I meditated, I think. Anyway, I heard...I saw...how do I explain this?”

 

“Take your time, Commander.”

 

The Dark Lord prompted the three to travel over to a curved booth in the corner of the bedroom, and sat down. Callahira paused, gathering her thoughts, images, and sensations into words she could express.

 

“Everything was frozen, as in everyone was...time was frozen. I could see the house clearly this time. It’s not where Aleama lives. I can’t put my finger on it, but I’d swear I’ve seen that house before.”

 

Lana quickly grabbed the datapad in her belt and began transcribing what the Dark Lord was saying.

 

“I heard a voice behind me. It was...I couldn’t hear everything it was saying, but, and this is the worst part of it, it mentioned ‘Order’.”

 

“I don’t understand. What does ‘order’ mean,” Lana inquired.

 

“I don’t know why, but I think it was referring to an order, as in The Order.”

 

Lana immediately perked up, her face turning sour, “like on Theron’s holocall we intercepted.”

 

“Exactly. And there’s only one Order that I know of who could be behind this. The Order of Zildrog.”

 

“ _ What _ ,” Arcann barked.

 

“Well, don’t they believe in a giant snake killing everyone? They started a war on Iokath that got a shipload of people killed. They tried to kill me,  _ again _ . And there’s whatever they’re doing with those Chiss coordinates that lead to something the Emperor was hiding. Those Zildrog lunatics probably hope he’ll come back to consume all life in the galaxy again. It fits.”

 

“But why would Theron help them,” Lana was becoming increasingly furious.

 

“Because he’s insane? Because he thinks he can stop them? Because he’s a  _ bastard _ ? How should I know?!”

 

“Wait wait wait...you’re telling me those cultists are behind what happened on Iokath? And Umbara? And what does this have to do with your family,” Arcann questioned with a stunned expression.

 

“None of this makes sense, Commander.”

 

“Actually, it makes perfect sense and I don’t know why I didn’t think of it sooner.”

 

“Will someone  _ please  _ explain what’s going on,” Arcann leaned forward to get in the two women’s line of sight.

 

“Oh, Arcann dearest, don’t you worry your pretty, little head about it,” Callahira jested as she stroked the man’s face with her hand.

 

Lana would’ve laughed, would’ve joked, but her anger was blinding her from anything else.

 

“I’m serious!”

 

“So am I! You’re so pretty!”

 

“ _ Would you two cut it out _ !? Commander, we need to do something about this right away. I need to...I need to go inform my agent. And Torian. Obviously, harming your family is a part of the Order’s plans. It just sounds so petty. Why target them when they could just target us?”

 

“Because they’re bastards,” Callahira questioned with a smile.

 

“Doesn’t matter. I’ll go look into this right away. They won’t succeed.  **Ever** ,” Lana nearly shouted as she marched out of the quarters, the dark side following her.

 

Callahira took in a deep breath and turned to Arcann who looked absolutely confounded.

 

“So, my cousins...they live on Dromund Fels. Ashara got a holomessage from one of them, Aleama, who was worried that she was being watched. And she is. Lana has a spy on world now. Then I had a dream that I was racing to get inside...a house maybe...but then it exploded. Then the next time I had the dream, Imperial soldiers were surrounding me, and now this: the Order and whatever that means.”

 

“Was that what you were dreaming on the ship when I-”

 

“Yes.”

 

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

 

“I just did! This all happened a while ago. That’s why Ashara contacted me in the first place. I just...I didn’t think to tell you. There’s really nothing that can be done at this point.”

 

“Why not bring your cousins here to Odessen?”

 

“I was about to go force the issue, demand that they come here, but then you, uh...appeared. In my bed,” the Sith grinned.

 

“Well, there’s nothing stopping you now. Come on. I’m anxious to meet them now.”

 

“Oh for...no, I need to go to Ziost with Talos. Lana can handle things from here.”

 

“Why do you have to go there with him?”

 

“Because ‘ancient Sith ruins’. And I’ve put it off twice now.”

 

“Lead the way then,” Arcann gestured towards the door.

 

“ _ No _ ! You can’t come. I mean...no,” Callahira shouted.

 

“Why not?”

 

“Ziost is...it’s like Nathema. It’s dead because of  _ him _ . I don’t want you to go there,” Callahira’s face contorted with heartache.

 

“Well, I don’t want you going there either.”

 

“I went back after...after it was done. It’s not as bad as Nathema, but I’m not risking your...wellbeing. You’ll stay here. Talos and I can handle it.”

 

“If you’re going, I’m going. Am I just supposed to hide forever,” Arcann walked up to the Sith to stand at her feet.

 

“OK, first of all: you need to take your time. Second: you don’t have a false ID nor a disguise. It’s  _ Imperial  _ space. Neither of us are welcome. So,” the Sith finished and stuck out her tongue.

 

“Could I wait on the ship then? Maybe keep in contact on the holo?”

 

“No.”

 

“How about...you stuff me in a crate and smuggle me down with you?”

 

“That’d be hilarious, but no. It’s not a place you should go. Why do I even have to explain this to you?! You’re the one who refused to go to Nathema!”

 

“It hadn’t been long after Voss when you went there. I’ve had time now. I want to stand by your side, Cal.”

 

“Hmm, I like when you call me that. Say it again,” the Dark Lord grinned seductively as she moved towards him.

 

“Cal?”

 

“Oh yeah, say it again,” Callahira stepped closer and placed her hands on his chest, looking up at the former Prince.

 

“Cal,” he barely got out before she planted her lips upon his.

 

Arcann wrapped his arms around the Sith and leaned into the kiss, passionately. Callahira immediately withdrew, a coy smile on her face.

 

“You can’t go. You don’t have a false ID. End of story,” she walked away as she winked back at him.

 

The former Emperor audibly groaned and sighed as he accepted defeat.

  
  



	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Callahira prepares to infiltrate Imperial space, as she and Talos head to Ziost. And they arrive! With a surprise guest in tow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really struggled to just......WRITE! I just needed to post this so I could move on from my writer's block. Haha..."writer". It's uhhhhhhhhh something. ANYWAY, I promise they will be on Ziost in the next chapter! xD

“Oh, Talos! I have a surprise for you!”

 

Callahira entered Dr. Oggurobb’s lab and skipped towards the archaeologist. Talos looked up from a container he had been stocking with chisels and holorecorders, his face instantly lighting up.

 

“Guess who I had a visit from last night,” the Sith sauntered over with a grin.

 

“Oh my! Um, that’s...I’m pleased for you. He seems very, uh, like a good...I hope you two are very happy,” Talos stumbled over his words as his cheeks began to flush.

 

The Dark Lord took a few moments to sort through her confoundment, and when it dawned on her, she belted out laughter.

 

“ _ Talos _ ! I meant,” the Sith reverted back to chuckling, trying to regain composure.

 

“Talos, my precious Talos. No,” Callahira lifted her hands to show a holocron, the same one she had been arguing with that morning.

 

“ **Oh** ! Lord Kallig’s holocron! My Lord, that’s fantastic! I thought he wouldn’t be able to speak to you ever again,” the archaeologist took a few breaths to recover from the pure mortification.

 

“Neither did I! He didn’t appear like before, but I had a dream unlike any I’ve ever had. I couldn’t hear everything he was trying to say, but when I awoke, his holocron was lit up!”

 

“ _ Amazing _ ! Oh my, that is very interesting indeed! Do you think he used his holocron as some sort of...anchor? I’ve never heard of a spirit able to do that,” Talos stretched forth his hands and Callahira passed the small pyramid to him.

 

“I’ve never heard of that either. Lord Dramath was trapped within a holocron, but Kallig isn’t. I’m really not sure.”

 

“Another mystery to solve! Hopefully he’ll be able to do it again! This is  _ fantastic _ !”

 

The Dark Lord was grinning widely, always pleased to see her colleague happy.

 

“And I’m pleased to report I’m ready to go to Ziost!”

 

“Splendid! I’ve just finished packing all the supplies we’ll need! My Lord, this is a very good day! A very good day, indeed!”

 

Callahira could hardly contain her laughter and helped him finish packing, as he started to hum a tune under his breath.

 

“Talos,” Dr. Oggurobb finally looked up from what he was doing, “Oh! Greetings, Commander. Talos, here’s the device. I look forward to your report on how it fared.”

 

The lithe archaeologist bounded over to the Hutt, “I’m eager to test it, Doctor!”

 

“What’s that,” the Sith looked at the small contraption in Talos’ hand and immediately regretted asking the question in front of Oggurobb.

 

“I had one of Sana-Rae’s force sensitives and Yuun help me with its construction! It’s a genius device, really. Multi-purpose. It can measure fluctuations in the Force, which is truly groundbreaking. A mechanical device able to detect something never thought to be measured! Imagine the possibilities, Commander!  _ Limitless _ ! It also has the ability to detect and measure electromagnetic signatures. Any fluctuations sound an alert. And I don’t think I need to explain how important measuring electromagnetism is in any field of research. In fact, I think I might be able to-”

 

The Sith cut him off, “Thank you ever so much, Dr. Oggurobb! Truly an amazing feat. I look forward to using it and giving you a full report. Alright, Talos, let us be off. I’m giddy with anticipation!”

 

The Commander didn’t wait for the Hutt to respond, lifted a crate with the Force, and walked at a fast pace out of the room. Talos immediately lifted a few, smaller crates onto a pallet, and scrambled to keep up, the pallet following him, floating mid air.

 

As they entered the war room, Talos’ holocom started to chirp.

 

“It’s probably my colleagues on Ziost. I’d better answer this, my Lord. Perhaps they’ve found something!  _ Oh _ , I can hardly bear the anticipation!”

 

“I’ll go and find Gault in the meantime. He programmed a holo-disguise for me. Blood of the Sith, I hope it’s not ridiculous,” Callahira allowed the crate to settle on the floor and proceeded to Hylo’s room.

  
  


******************

  
  


The Commander entered Underworld Logistics, the name of which had induced side-splitting laughter from her, and found Gault halfway through a bottle of Corellian Red. The Devaronian was always one to seize moments of respite when they presented themselves. Or when they didn’t.

 

“Well, it is after 12, I suppose.”

 

“Wh-what? Oh. Hey Commander. Yeah, it’s uh...it’s...yeah,” the Devaronian slurred, hardly able to string two thoughts together.

 

“Did something happen,” the Sith sensed he was upset.

 

He blew a raspberry and continued, “Naw, just decompressing.”

 

“Alright then. Do you have the holo-disguise for me?”

 

Gault shot straight up, paused to let the world go back to  _ not  _ spinning, and started to walk, or stumbled, over to a workstation.

 

“You got three choices, boss. And if I may say so myself, they’re brilliant,” he smiled lazily and lit up three miniature holograms.

 

“Stars,” the Sith put a hand to bridge of her nose, shutting her eyes, readying herself for what might be headache inducing.

 

“Right here you got your average human woman. A bit boring, if you ask me. I guess blonde works for some. And here you got a fine Chiss specimen. A little lanky, but that usually makes for good spies-”

 

“Gault! It’s supposed to be a Sith Lord! I’ve never heard of a Chiss Sith!”

 

“Well, that’s why you’ve got  _ three  _ choices. I might have Hylo use that one later...anyway, last but not least, my favorite; a bodacious, comely Twi’lek. Look at those curves, Commander. Look at that lekku. Oh...I’m having flashbacks of my early days on Nar Shaddaa.”

 

“She’s...very nice, Gault. I think I’ll have to stick with human. It’s the least conspicuous.”

 

“Aww! Tell you what, take ‘em all. I dare you to make that tiny guy wear the Twi’lek one. Make sure you make a vid of that,” Gault chuckled and nearly fell over.

 

“...Right. I’ll be sure to do that. Thank you, Gault. Why don’t you go lay down now?”

 

“Yeah, you got a point. I’ll just...over there...wait for Hylo,” the Devaronian slurred as he made his way back to the couch.

 

Callahira paused, watching Gault to make sure he didn’t fall and crack his head, and picked up the three, compact devices. With one last glance over her shoulder at Gault, who was already asleep, she walked back towards where she left Talos.

  
  


*****************

 

Callahira entered the war room to find Talos rubbing his temple, lost in thought and looking a bit concerned.

 

“Talos? Everything set?”

 

“My Lord. I didn’t see you walk in.”

 

“You look...concerned.”

 

“Ah, yes. Well. It would seem Ziost isn’t  _ completely  _ deserted. My colleagues had a runin with a monolith. It won’t leave the vicinity of the ruins,” the archaeologist brought his fingers back to his temple.

 

“Why am I not surprised,” the Sith lamented, “was anyone hurt?”

 

“Dr. Renche met an unfortunate end,” he sighed, “but he died doing what he loves. I suppose that’s more than anyone could ask.”

 

The Sith stepped closer to him and placed a hand on his shoulder, “I’m sorry, Talos.”

 

The lithe man looked up at her with a sincere smile, “thank you, my Lord. That’s very kind. Anywho, it does present a new challenge for our venture.”

 

“Don’t you worry, Talos. I can handle that monolith,” she winked at him.

 

“I don’t doubt it! I’m sure the Imperial Reclamation Service will be relieved to have you there! I know I am,” the archaeologist shook off his sorrow and went back to his usual, cheery self, “Do you have your disguise?”

 

“Three of them, actually. Gault...went all out.”

 

“Oh! Anything interesting?”

 

The Sith sighed, “They’re fine, let’s go.”

 

The two resumed their quest and headed to the hangar, cargo in tow. Bey’wan Aygo approached Callahira as they entered.

 

“Commander, I wanted to let you know we’ll have Alliance vessels on standby in case things go south.”

 

“Thank you, Bey’wan. I don’t think that will be necessary, but you never know. I’ll keep Lana updated on our time table.”

 

“Alright. Be safe out there,” the Bothan saluted.

 

Callahira shared a look of amusement with Talos.  _ Being saluted by a Republic officer. Quaint. _

 

The duo progressed to the Fury’s gangplank, Talos having a bit of trouble getting the floating cargo to follow, and trekked to the ship’s hold. Talos carefully fastened the pallet and its crates, preparing for flight.

 

“Oh! I heard that holocron caused quite the disruption earlier today,” Talos chirped as he picked up loose items that had fallen to the floor.

 

“Disruption is one word for it. It’s more powerful than I realized, Talos. I removed it from the ship.”

 

“Indeed! I suppose it was never going to last. I must admit, though, I was quite amused when we dropped out of hyperspace at the edge of that asteroid belt!”

 

Callahira shot him a concerned look, “Talos-”

 

“Perhaps amused is the wrong word. I was  _ intrigued  _ by its abilities, that’s all,” the archaeologist rose to his feet, “Shall I plot the course for Ziost, my Lord? I’ve already installed the highly illegal, false signature for the Fury.”

 

“Go right ahead,” the Sith followed Talos out of the hold towards the bridge.

 

The archaeologist sat down and began to program the ship’s computers as Callahira placed a holocron on a console’s dash.

 

“Is that Lord Kallig’s?”

 

“Yes. I’ve replaced the evil holocron on the ship with Grandpappy’s.”

 

Talos chuckled, “ _ Grandpappy _ ! I’m sure Lord Kallig would appreciate being called that, my Lord! Oh, I do hope he makes contact again. I should like to see his reaction.”

 

The two giggled for a bit until Callahira realized she hadn’t said goodbye to anyone, to Arcann. Was that necessary? Is it rude not to?  _ Am I supposed to kiss him farewell every time we part? It’s not like we’re married and live...stop thinking about this. Just go. Oh, but Ashara!  _ The Sith punched in the Togruta’s holocom code on the bridge, thinking it prudent to keep her updated.

 

A tiny, blue Ashara fluttered into view on the console, “Hey, Cal. You guys leave yet?”

 

“We’re about to, just letting you know.”

 

“ _ Hello, Ashara _ ,” Talos cheered from aside.

 

The young woman giggled, “ _ Hi, Talos _ . Hope you have fun! And stay safe, please.”

 

“You know me, I’m a stickler for safety,” Callahira smirked at the holo.

 

“Oh! I almost forgot; I think Senya was looking for you, Cal.”

 

The Sith paused for a moment, gaining her composure, “Well...thank you for letting me know. I suppose I’ll catch up with her when we get back.”

 

“I guess. I’ll let her know you two left. And I’m serious, please be safe. That planet is...I don’t even want to think about it,” the young Togruta lowered her head.

 

“Chin up, my dear! It’s going to be grand! So many mysteries waiting to be discovered! And perhaps some combat, my Lord?”

 

“You know it,” the Commander winked at Talos.

 

“Combat?! I thought you were supposed to be incognito?”

 

“My word, I didn’t mean against Imperials! Just the usual Sith monstrosities and abominations, Ashara. Nothing to worry about.”

 

The Togruta’s expression twisted in dread, “Uh, alright. Safety. Be safe. Safety first. Stars, I have to go.”

 

The Sith giggled as Ashara’s visage blinked out. Callahira looked to Talos and shrugged. Just then, she felt her heart clench.  _ Arcann…I’m going to kill him. Why doesn’t anyone ever listen to me? _

 

“Talos! Close the gangplank! We’re being boarded by the enemy,” she fibbed, dramatically.

 

“ _ What _ ?! Wait, are you joking?”

 

“Just close the gangplank,” Callahira shouted as she ran out of the cockpit.

 

“I...yes, my Lord,” Talos quickly shuffled around looking for the correct sequence of switches and unholstered his blaster.

 

The Sith entered the saloon and found it to be empty.

 

“Hmm. Where oh where could that troublemaker be,” Callahira toyed, as she searched her surroundings with the Force.

 

Talos stumbled across the bridge’s threshold, ready to fight, “I’m at your service, my Lord!”

 

The Dark Lord strained to keep from bursting into hysterics as she searched the ship. 

 

“ _ Take no prisoners, Talos _ ,” she whispered to him.

 

“ _ Really? Oh, alright then. How did they get here? Who is it? _ ”

 

“ _ Shh _ .”

 

_ “Oh, right! _ ”

 

Talos whipped around the corner and aimed his blaster down the hall to his left as Callahira tiptoed in the opposite direction. She could feel Arcann’s presence, but it was muted somewhat.  _ He must have been practicing that shielding technique. It won’t help him.  _ She snickered under her breath. After Talos searched the hold and the opposite room, he rejoined the Commander in the saloon.

 

“ _ Hey! Talos. I think they’re in the crew quarters _ ,” the Sith murmured.

 

The archaeologist stiffened and squinted his eyes as he slowly moved forward towards the entrance. Callahira was on the verge of roaring laughter. Talos pointed his blaster up, close to his nose, as he stood ready, hugging the wall next to the crew quarter’s doorway. The Sith positioned herself on the opposite wall, still out of sight to anyone in the room. She nodded, signaling Talos to take the initiative. 

 

The lithe man spun to his left, his blaster forward, and stood in the threshold, “Cease and desist! By order of the Imperial Reclamation Service!”

 

Callahira couldn’t hold back any longer and erupted into hysterical laughter which immediately brought forth tears. Talos’ eyes popped open when he realized he was looking at the former Emperor of Zakuul, who was displaying the utmost shock.

 

“ _ Arcann _ ! My Lord,” he looked back to his master, but she was unresponsive.

 

“Terribly sorry, Arcann. We thought there was an enemy intruder,” he put his blaster down and holstered it as he breathed deeply again, releasing the adrenaline that had built up.

 

The former conqueror couldn’t help but smile knowing he deserved this. But did poor Talos?

 

“My apologies, Talos. I didn’t mean to frighten the two of you,” he dipped his head to the side to see the Commander squating on the floor, straining to breath through her cackling.

 

“Ah, well. No harm done,” Talos paused and turned back to his master, “My Lord, I can’t help but feel I’m the butt of a joke.”

 

“No!  _ No no no _ ,” the Sith gasped at air, trying to enable herself to speak, “It’s just, you’re so good at your job!”

 

She reverted back to snickering as Arcann continued, “I think I’m the butt of the joke, Talos.”

 

“I see. Yes, I didn’t think you were coming along. I suppose I put a good fright in you!”

 

The Dark Lord belted out newly ignited hysterics. Talos glanced back at her and Arcann shook his head.

 

“You certainly did. I wasn’t expecting...that.”

 

Callahira managed to rise to her feet, carefully wiping the tears from her face to keep her makeup intact, “You’re a very naughty boy, Arcann. You deserved it! Now get off my ship so we can depart.”

 

“You forgot your bag,” as he spoke, the Sith looked down to see her day bag, the one she always brought on her travels, “I was just bringing it to you.”

 

She scoffed, “Right. That’s the only reason you were sneaking around the ship. And why you were placing my bag in the  _ crew quarters _ and not my own. I’ve already told you there’s no way you can come. No disguise.”

 

“My Lord, didn’t you mention that Gault gave you three disguises to choose from?”

 

The Dark Lord scolded the archaeologist with her changed expression, “ **Talos** .”

 

“Oh, right. No. Of course he didn’t. I’m misremembering.”

 

“Three disguises, eh,” Arcann questioned, amused.

 

“Just the one. Now _ go away _ !”

 

Talos cleared his throat and carefully interjected, “My Lord, perhaps it might be good to have another...heavy hitter along for the trip. Just a suggestion, of course. It’s entirely up to you. You’re certainly capable of handling any and all monsters.”

 

The Sith brought her palm to lay on her forehead as she closed her eyes, “Talos...I love you, but sometimes I want to throttle you.”

 

The lithe man immediately blushed at hearing that, “Oh!”

 

Callahira’s desires were starting to get the better of her, which wasn’t entirely unusual, but she was finding herself increasingly distracted by Arcann. She  _ wanted  _ him to come along. She wanted to be near him at all times, the thought of which brought forth self-loathing. She was acting like an adolescent, she thought.

 

The three stood silent for a few moments before she continued with a heavy sigh, “If he goes insane, I’m not coming to the rescue,” she turned her gaze to Arcann, “And seeing you parade around as a, what was it, ‘ _ bodacious Twi’lek _ ’, might make it all bearable.”

 

“A  _ what _ ? That won’t be necessary. I actually brought a mask and robes.”

 

“So you brought my bag  _ and  _ a disguise for yourself, but you in no way were planning on coming? Naughty. You’re wearing the holo-disguise.”

 

“Did Gault give you a voice regulator with those,” Talos questioned sincerely.

 

Callahira paused, disappointed, “No...because I don’t need one,” she scoffed and caved, “Fine. Just know that I hate you for the foreseeable future, Arcann.”

 

“Deal.”

 

The former emperor gave her a knowing smirk, which made the Sith groan with disgust, and the trio proceeded to the bridge.

  
  
  


*************

  
  


The group was finally on their way. Talos checked in with his colleagues on Ziost. Callahira had tested the holo-disguise. Everything was in order. The archaeologist was sorting through his equipment as the Sith and the former prince chatted on the bridge, watching the stars and planets race by.

 

“I thought you took that thing off the ship. Why would you keep it here after what it did,” the former emperor pointed out the holocron situated on the dash.

 

“That’s a different one. That-”

 

“Was that the thing you were talking to this morning,” Arcann couldn’t help but puff out a laugh.

 

“...Yes. It belonged to my ancestor, Lord Kallig. He never finished it. It contains records of the battles he won. And Tulak Hord. It’s rather amusing, he mentions several times how much he respects Tulak and considers him a trusted friend.”

 

“Why is that amusing?”

 

“Because Tulak Hord betrayed and killed him. He was getting just a  _ little  _ too powerful and popular. He was so angry, he bound his spirit to Tulak’s remains, or his possessions, and vigilantly guarded them. I don’t actually remember why, but Tulak was entombed on Dromund Kaas and not Korriban. Strange. Vitiate was...weird. Moving bones around,” she trailed off.

 

Arcann sat there, perplexed, and didn’t immediately respond.

 

“So why did you bring it along?”

 

“Well it’s...I’m not sure I want to...because it activated and I...received some...uh,” the Sith trailed off, not wanting to let her Prince in on the fact that Kallig had entered her dreams through the artifact.

 

“In basic this time?”

 

Callahira playfully slapped his hand, “I think he was able to communicate through it. I just want to keep it close in case he tries again.”

 

Arcann massaged his face with his right hand, overwhelmed again by the absurdity of the Sith, “You’re telling me your dead ancestor talks to you?”

 

“Why is that surprising to you, after everything your fa--Valkorion, did? Kallig actually saved my life twice,” she felt as if she was defending him for some reason, “He helped me defeat my master, sort of. He’s the one who directed me to learn Force Walking and binding the...uh, he saved my life when a spirit attacked me. Well, he’s the reason I’m still alive and Darth Thanaton is not. I hadn’t heard from him in years so...so I’m a little excited.”

 

The silence lasted a bit longer this time before the Sith continued, “He’s really nice, Arcann,” she snorted at her own words, “What I mean is, he’s not dangerous. Well, not dangerous to me. He did manage to choke…never mind. All he wanted was for our family name to be restored. And it was.  _ And  _ I managed to kill the Emperor so he’ll be in a cheerful mood if I hear from him again.”

 

“I’m so pleased to hear it,” Arcann’s body was shaking from silent laughter as he pinched the bridge of his nose.

 

“I wonder what he’ll make of  _ you _ . He’ll probably think it’s a good match. Strength and power in the bloodline,” the Sith cut herself off and slapped her mouth shut, mortified.

 

“What I mean is, he’s very traditional and uh...I’m not suggesting...stars.”

 

“Bloodline, eh,” Arcann prodded as a wry, lopsided smirk appeared.

 

Callahira’s stomach flipped as humiliation mixed with longing, “Changing the subject!”

 

A light tapping brought the duo’s attention to the bridge’s threshold.

 

“I believe I can help with that, my Lord! I wanted to let you know that everything is in order, mysteries ready to be catalogued,” Talos cheered.

 

“Eavesdropping is rude,” Arcann grinned at Callahira.

 

The Sith couldn’t help but snicker through her teeth, “He’s just teasing, Talos. And that’s  _ my  _ line.”

 

“I’m curious about your reclamation efforts, Talos,” the former conqueror expertly changed the subject for them.

 

“Ah, interested in the history of the Sith Empire, are we?”

 

“Yes, but probably not for the same reasons as you,” Arcann muttered under his breath as his expression turned dour.

 

“Where to start? Well. The Sith were driven out of known space millenia ago after Naga Sadow’s failed attempt to conquer the Republic. The fleeing Sith were ruthlessly hunted down by the Supreme Commander at the time. The Republic went to all lengths to expunge the Sith’s history,” Talos lectured.

 

“Including smashing all the artifacts they could find,” the Dark Lord huffed, full of spite, “Hypocrites. Genocide on top of cultural genocide. That’s why I’ve always detested the Jedi and the Republic with their self-proclaimed high ground and  _ morality. _ ”

 

“So,” Talos continued, a bit timid at angering his master, “the Imperial Reclamation Service was formed to recover the lost history which includes scouring Sith worlds and-”

 

“ _ Treasure hunting _ ,” Callahira chimed in excitedly.

 

“Indeed. And with the great Darth Imperius at the Sphere of Knowledge’s helm, we made immense progress! The most  _ unbelievable  _ things!”

 

“Former Darth,” Callahira’s face soured.

 

“Even so, we continue the efforts! Don’t we, my Lord,” Talos said with a smile.

 

“Apparently,” she turned to look at the former emperor, “Are you sure you’re ready for this?”

 

“Ziost? Or treasure hunting?”

 

“Don’t be an twit, you know what I mean,” the Sith playfully nudged Arcann’s leg with her foot.

 

“I’ve been practicing shielding my mind with some of Sana-Rae’s people. I can handle it.”

 

“So, you’ve been practicing for all of 24 hours,” the Dark Lord mocked with her brow raised.

 

“Oh, I wouldn’t worry, my Lord. We’ll be so preoccupied with the excitement and intrigue of it all! My word, I find myself extremely giddy!”

 

“Is that new,” she grinned at the archaeologist, “I suppose you’re right. Or not. Doesn’t matter,” she turned back to her Prince, “You get crazy, I’m putting you down. I’m leaving you behind. I’m locking you in the ruin.”

 

“Deal,” Arcann spoke through grin.

 

“Pish! If anyone puts him down, it’ll be the monolith. Oh dear, that was dark, wasn’t it,” Talos lowered his head in embarrassment as the Dark Lord snickered into her hand.

 

“The what?”   
  


“Big, nasty fellows. Made with Sith alchemy,” Callahira explained, matter-of-fact.

 

“A gift left behind by our former Emperor, no less,” Talos grimaced again, “I shouldn’t have said that, should I? Just don’t think about it! Think instead of what we might discover!”

 

“We might discover bones and rubble, Talos. And more monoliths.”

 

“True. Still, the anticipation is palpable! You never know what artifacts we might find. Perhaps they’ll be Sith bones with an ancient ghost bound to them. Maybe they’ll know some long, lost secrets! You could bind...well, no, I suppose you’re sick of Sith spirits in your head.”

 

“ _ What _ ,” Arcann glowered.

 

“It’s an inside joke,” Callahira’s eyes fluttered with panic, “Er, he was talking about Valkorion.”

 

“Alright...What are these monoliths, exactly? What are their capabilities?”

 

“They’re nearly impossible to kill and they like to smash things. Some can even use the Force, or what’s left of it on Ziost,” Callahira shot Arcann a sneer, angry that she had allowed him to come along, and angry that he might get hurt.

 

“It’s a good thing you can wield lightning then, my Lord!’

 

“Indeed, Talos. They’re especially sensitive to electricity. I can’t wait to kill the thing.”

 

“The Imperial Reclamation Service, along with myself, will be  _ extremely  _ grateful!”

 

“I suppose I can help with that,” the former conqueror perked up.

 

“That’s why I suggested you come along, Arcann! It should be quite a spectacle.”

 

“Ooh! Record it, Talos!  _ Record it! _ ”

 

Talos chuckled and nodded, “Of course, my Lord! We can broadcast it across the holonet!”

 

“No, no! Not the holonet! I don’t want the Empire knowing I was there.”

 

“Oh! Right. Well then, the troops on Odessen will have the pleasure! And perhaps Sana-Rae’s students can learn a thing or two.”

 

“I like the way you think,” the Sith winked at Talos which made him positively radiant.

  
  


******************

  
  


The Fury entered Imperial space, just outside of Ziost’s star system, and Callahira immediately transmitted their false clearance. The three stood on the bridge, each on the edge, fingers itching to send the ship into hyperspace if need be. A few, tense moments passed and they received the all clear. 

 

“So far so good,” the Commander exhaled, “It’s time to put on our disguises. I hate that you won’t wear the Twi’lek holo. You’re a terrible person, Arcann.”

 

“I have never claimed to be anything but,” he reached for a dark, hooded robe and proceeded to put it on.

 

“Don’t you dare pull that self-pity on me, young man,” the Sith scolded.

 

“I’m older than you.”

 

“Really? I suppose I technically didn’t age for five years. I’ve been meaning to thank you for that. Carbonite does wonders for the complexion. Don’t you agree, Talos?”

 

“Erm, yes. You look...not a day over...how old you were when you were captured!”

 

“Nicely put, Talos,” Callahira couldn’t help but chuckle, “Now, how does this work?”

 

“I believe you can clip that anywhere and you just flip that switch on the side and it’ll adjust to your electromagnetic signature,” the archaeologist approached her as he explained.

 

“Just anywhere?”

 

“Indeed, my Lord. They’re quite advanced!”

 

“Alright, here we go.”

 

Callahira clipped the small device to her shirt and clicked it on. A scarless, blonde woman with amber eyes appeared, “How do I look?”

 

“Like a Sith Lord. Er, a different Sith Lord,” Talos spoke as he inspected his master.

 

“Am I pretty? Arcann, do I look pretty,” the Sith teased.

 

“You’re very pretty,” Arcann shook his head as he brought the Sith mask over his face.

 

“How  _ dare  _ you flirt with another woman!”

 

“What? No. I’m...I can’t win. You look...like a person...who is not ugly.”

 

“I’m sorry, what did you say? The mask muffles everything,” Callahira mimicked his voice by covering her mouth as she spoke.

 

Arcann didn’t speak and if he made any expression, it was hidden behind his mask. The Sith could feel his frustration, however, and decided to let it go. The three returned to the bridge as the Fury approached the Citadel Station, Ziost’s port. They received docking instructions over the radio and Talos made sure they followed protocol to a T, with Callahira at the helm. The docking clamps latched on and the jetway hissed as the atmosphere equalized inside.

 

The Sith closed her eyes after the ship settled, trying to focus, as she usually did back when she was constantly around other Sith and Imperials. One had to act a certain way to display strength and avoid giving anyone an opportunity to question you.

 

“Arcann, you’ll need a name,” Callahira spoke as she stood to look at him.

 

“I have a name. You just said it,” he teased, knowing full well what she meant.

 

Callahira would usually find his sarcasm amusing, but back in Imperial space with what they were about to attempt at the forefront of her mind, her features hardened and she sneered, “Then I’ll think of one for you. You’ll be my apprentice,” she paused, unable to conceive a name.

 

“How about Lord Rage? No, too obvious...simple. Ravage? No, taken,” Talos rambled on.

 

“He wouldn’t be a Lord if I am and he’s my apprentice,” the Sith lectured, “And I didn’t have a fancy name when I was Zash’s apprentice. I just used my name-”

 

“Oh oh! Let me name him,” Talos cheered as if he was playing a game, “Just Baras! Oh, damn it all!”

 

Callahira loosened a bit, Talos always tickling her, “Taken. Oh, stars. I have the  _ perfect  _ name! Ffon!”

 

“Ffon? What kind of a name is Ffon,” Arcann said as he adjusted his mask.

 

“ _ Exactly _ ! He’s dead now and never made it out of Korriban. No one but a dead man remembers him!”

 

“Oh! The Pureblood? I think I recall hearing about him from you. Right, what was the Overseer’s name again,” Talos recounted.

 

“The one who only referred to me as ‘slave’? That was Harkun.”

 

“Right! Right...right,” the lithe man’s brow furrowed.

 

“Talos?”

 

“Now I remember. You killed him when you went to pick up Xalek. Sorry, sometimes I’m not sure whether or not to celebrate someone’s death! I get confused.”

 

“Oh, my darling, Talos,” the Sith caressed his arm, “Don’t think about it. Let’s go. You too,  _ Ffon _ .”

 

Callahira, or Lord Nox, lead the way as the group exited the Fury and stepped out in the Citadel. Everything seemed exactly the same, yet felt so very alien to the Sith. She noticed that the station wasn’t fully manned, which then made sense to her as she recalled that Ziost was no longer inhabited. There would be little to no traffic on or off the planet, and the Republic certainly would see no benefit in staging an invasion there. The Dark Lord spotted two Imperial soldiers near a transport and lead the group directly towards them. She scanned the area with her feelings and didn’t sense any other Force users. Callahira’s sights finally caught straight at the back of the room where there was an observation window, the same window where she watched Ziost die. The Sith stopped in her tracks as if another step forward would lead her to vomit.

 

Talos nearly bumped into her, “My Lord? Everything alright?”

 

She swallowed the lump in her throat a few times to speak, “Yes. I just...need one moment.”

 

Talos looked up, the dead planet’s surface in plain view, “Oh. There’s certainly nothing conspicuous about...taking in the sight, My Lord.”

 

Arcann had looked up as well to view the planet, but he didn’t feel as horrible as he thought he would. It was just another ruin in a long line of things devastated by Valkorion. He had already been to Nathema to collect his sister years before, and when he finally realized the Force’s nature on the planet was because of his father, he had years to come to terms with it. Ziost was just another Nathema. Or perhaps that was the point of view that was safest in this moment.

 

Seeing the trio halt made one of the guards approach from his post by the shuttle.

 

“My Lord. Welcome. What might I do for you,” the helmeted soldier asked, with all due respect.

 

“Ah! Greetings! My name is Talos Drellik. I am with the Imperial Reclamation Service and will be joining them on Ziost today. This is...my master, Lord Nox, and her apprentice, Ffon.”

 

Callahira glanced over at the archaeologist, completely bewildered by his ability to lie, something she didn’t know he was so adept at. 

 

The soldier bowed his head, “It’s a pleasure to have you here. Yes, we were informed you would be joining us, Sir. Your fellows on the surface sent us a request to help with a monolith, but unfortunately, we don’t have anyone to spare up here.”   
  


“We know,” Lord Nox spoke coldly, “I am here to make sure their work is completed without further interruptions. A Sith should always oversee such excavations, in my opinion.”

 

“Uh, yes, Lord Nox is an expert when it comes to Sith artifacts. And Sith alchemy.”

 

Not giving any further time to doubt, the Sith continued quickly, “Inform your colleagues we are here, Drellik. Is that the shuttle?”

 

“Yes, my Lord. I’ll have it prepared for departure straight away,” the soldier saluted and turned around to head back to his post.

 

Talos inhaled for what seemed like an eternity and finally exhaled, “That...went well!”

 

“Good job, Talos! You’re very good at lying. It makes me wonder if you’ve ever lied to me before,” the blonde Sith smirked at him.

 

“My Lord, I have never and would never lie to you!”

 

Callahira’s expression snapped back into place instantly as the soldier approached once again.

 

“Everything’s ready. Please, follow me.”

 

Callahira and Arcann took their seats in the shuttle as Talos instructed the soldiers where and how to place his crates. The archaeologist would attest that he needed each and every one of his tools, even though his colleagues on the surface were already fully equipped. As Talos fussed and nitpicked over his cargo, Arcann could sense the fear and dread building within Callahira. He subtly shifted his hand so it would rest next to hers. The Sith felt like melting right then and there, her cold and dark facade about to shatter. She wanted to be anywhere else. She wanted Arcann to rescue her and take her away from it all; Ziost, the Empire, the Republic, the Alliance. _ Perhaps we could move to a neutrally aligned world, like Manaan or Rishi. Ugh, never mind. I don’t want to live on Rishi. What about...where can I even go to escape it all? Where can we go? I hate Odessen. I hate the Alliance. _

 

Talos’ energetic entrance onto the shuttle broke the Sith’s train of thought, something she was grateful for, “All set, my Lord!”

 

Callahira’s expression turned to stone once again as the Imperial soldier boarded the craft. With the Imperial at the helm, the shuttle finally took off. It seemed the three had successfully infiltrated Imperial space and the Sith hoped the rest of the excursion would run just as smoothly.


End file.
